Russia President Putin skips Istanbul peace talks; delegation named amid Zelensky, Trump pressure

ussian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the Russia-Ukraine peace talks scheduled for Thursday in Istanbul, despite calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and diplomatic nudges from global leaders, including Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Late Wednesday, the Kremlin published a list of eight delegates—four negotiators and four experts—who will represent Moscow in the talks. Putin, who had proposed the Istanbul meeting "without any preconditions" on Sunday, did not include himself among the participants.

Russia names delegation with military, intelligence officials

The Russian delegation, announced via a decree on the Kremlin website, includes:

• Vladimir Medinsky, presidential adviser and former culture minister, seen as a hawkish figure
• Alexander Fomin, Deputy Defence Minister
• Igor Kostyukov, Director of the GRU (Russia’s Foreign Military Intelligence Agency)

All three previously participated in the short-lived negotiations held in 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Zelensky: ‘Signals so far are unconvincing’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remained cautious about the upcoming talks, stating on Wednesday night that Kyiv would wait to confirm the composition of Russia’s delegation before determining its next move.

“I am waiting to see who will arrive from Russia and then I will determine what steps Ukraine should take. The signals in the media so far are unconvincing,” Zelensky said in his nightly address.

He also criticised Russia’s continued aggression despite the proposed talks: “It is now more obvious to the entire world than at any other point during the full-scale war... that the only obstacle to establishing peace is the lack of a clear will from Russia to do so.”

Trump declines to attend

US President Donald Trump, who had suggested earlier this week that he might travel to Turkey if Putin were attending, confirmed through a US official on Wednesday that he would not be joining the talks.

Trump has proposed a 30-day ceasefire between the two countries and urged both sides to agree to terms quickly. He is reportedly frustrated with the lack of commitment from both Moscow and Kyiv.

“I'm always considering secondary sanctions against Moscow if I think they are blocking the process,” Trump said.

Lula urges Putin to join talks

Brazilian President Lula da Silva spoke to Putin by phone on Wednesday and personally urged him to attend the Istanbul negotiations.

Lula “emphasized Brazil's commitment to peace and once again made himself available to collaborate in whatever way necessary in the search for understanding between Russia and Ukraine,” according to a statement from his office.

Previous talks and standoff

This week’s negotiations are seen as a continuation of the 2022 Istanbul talks, which collapsed without resolution. A meeting between Putin and Zelensky would have been their first since December 2019.

The diplomatic standoff has taken on a symbolic tone, with Zelensky signaling he would only attend if Putin showed up—framing it as a litmus test of who wants peace more.