ISTANBUL, Türkiye — A week of speculation and confusion surrounding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s sudden proposal for direct peace talks with Ukraine reached a critical turning point on Thursday, May 15, 2025, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced his country would engage in the negotiations — albeit on its own terms.
The day that was initially slated to mark the beginning of a new diplomatic chapter instead opened with disorder and uncertainty.
International media and diplomats gathered at Istanbul’s historic Dolmabahçe Palace were met with silence from Ukrainian officials, who had not confirmed their participation or the composition of any delegation.
A Turkish foreign ministry source told CNN there was “no scheduled meeting yet.”
By late afternoon, Zelenskyy broke the deadlock after a meeting in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, confirming that Ukraine would participate in the proposed talks and announcing that his Defence Minister, Rustem Umerov, would lead Kyiv’s delegation.
The decision, Zelenskyy said, was made “out of respect for President Trump,” acknowledging the former U.S. president’s influential role in shaping the diplomatic calculus.
Former U.S. National Security Adviser Keith Kellogg and real estate executive Steve Witkoff, both envoys of President Trump, are expected in Istanbul on Friday, May 16, 2025.
Trump himself hinted he may attend the talks, telling reporters in Abu Dhabi, “if something happened, I would consider going.”
Putin, however, will not be attending the Istanbul talks personally.
Kremlin officials confirmed the Russian president would remain in Moscow, with lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky, a former culture minister, representing Russia in Istanbul.
Medinsky, speaking briefly at the Russian consulate on Thursday, May 15, 2025, said the delegation was committed to a “constructive approach” and aimed to address the “root causes of the conflict.”
“The delegation is committed to a constructive approach,” he stated, declining to take questions.
“We are proposing to the Kyiv authorities to renew the negotiations that they cut off in 2022.”
Yet the mention of “root causes” — a phrase widely interpreted as encompassing Russia’s long-standing grievances, including Ukraine’s NATO aspirations and its very sovereignty — underscored the vast distance still separating the two sides.
The media scrum at the Russian consulate grew so unruly that officials reportedly threatened to cancel the briefing.
“Waiting is better than knowing the result,” joked Stanislav Ivashchenko of Zvezda, the Russian defence ministry’s TV channel.
“Everyone is tired of this… but we will defend our position.”
The impetus for Putin’s unexpected peace overture was reportedly mounting pressure from Kyiv and its Western allies, who had presented Moscow with an ultimatum: accept a 30-day ceasefire or face expanded sanctions.
Rather than concede or escalate, Putin proposed reviving talks in Istanbul, the same venue that hosted early negotiations in 2022.
Zelenskyy’s initial hesitation to re-enter talks was shaped not only by skepticism over Moscow’s sincerity but also by the wider geopolitical dynamic — particularly the role of Donald Trump.
While the Biden administration has taken a back seat to these talks, Trump has signalled a willingness to personally intervene, raising the stakes.
Former Russian diplomat Boris Bondarev, who resigned in protest over the war in 2022, told CNN that Putin would much prefer negotiating with Trump than with Zelensky.
“Two great powers should sit together and discuss how inferior countries should live under their umbrella,” he said.
“That’s how he sees the world. That’s why Zelensky doesn’t fit.”
Despite the theatrics and strategic manoeuvring, Thursday’s developments may signal a new — albeit precarious — phase in a war now in its third year.
With Umerov at the helm of Ukraine’s delegation and Medinsky returning as Russia’s lead envoy, Istanbul will once again become the centre of diplomatic gravity in a conflict that has profoundly reshaped global security.
Whether this fragile opening can lead to sustained dialogue or a breakthrough ceasefire remains to be seen. But for now, the door — long bolted shut — has inched open.
