Negotiations in Istanbul: main statements and events on the eve of the meeting between Ukraine and the Russian Federation
Kyiv • UNN
Negotiations on a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia are to begin in Turkey tomorrow. Zelenskyy is ready for direct negotiations with Putin, but will the Russian dictator come?
There is very little time left before the meeting of the delegations of Ukraine and Russia in Turkey. Negotiations on a ceasefire may begin as early as tomorrow, which could potentially be the first step towards establishing lasting peace. UNN reminds you of where the idea for such negotiations came from and how the situation has developed up to this point.
Unexpected initiative of Vladimir Putin
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin last Sunday proposed to resume peace talks with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul. According to him, the aggressor state has allegedly never refused dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities.
"I call for the resumption of direct negotiations, without any preconditions," - said the dictator.
Reaction of Ukraine
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he expects the Russian Federation to cease fire from May 12 and will personally wait for Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Turkey on May 15.
"We are waiting for a ceasefire from tomorrow (Monday, May 12 - ed.) - complete and lasting, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will wait for Putin in Turkey on Thursday. Personally. I hope that the Russians will not look for reasons why they cannot this time," - wrote Zelenskyy.
Sybiha is going to Turkey for negotiations on achieving peace14.05.25, 08:20 • 81336 views
On the same day, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andriy Sybiga, expressed doubt that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin would agree to fly to Istanbul for negotiations with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In particular, the diplomat commented on Zelenskyy's statement that he expects the Russian Federation to cease fire from May 12 and will personally wait for the Kremlin leader in Turkey on May 15. "This is what a true leader does. He doesn't hide behind anyone or anything," Sybiga said.
The head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak, stated that if Putin refuses negotiations in Turkey, it will finally show the Russian Federation's unwillingness to move towards peace. According to him, Ukraine is ready for negotiations, but first of all, a ceasefire is necessary.
"Ukraine is ready for any format of negotiations with Russia, but the priority should be a ceasefire," Yermak emphasized.
The head of the OP pointed out that it is impossible to negotiate when the Ukrainian people are under attack by Russian missiles and drones around the clock, so the establishment of a ceasefire regime is an important and necessary prerequisite.
"We have confirmed that President Zelenskyy is ready and will be in Turkey. Yesterday there was a very strong and clear statement from President Trump that he expects both leaders to be present in Turkey. He is also thinking about the possibility of visiting there. I believe that if Vladimir Putin refuses to come to Turkey, it will be the last signal that Russia does not want to end this war, that Russia does not want and is not ready for any negotiations," - said Yermak.
Adviser to the Head of the Office of the President Mykhailo Podolyak announced that Volodymyr Zelenskyy will negotiate in Istanbul exclusively with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, since only he can make the decision to end the war against Ukraine. At the same time, he rejected the candidacy of the previous head of the Russian delegation in Istanbul, Vladimir Medinsky.
"This is not the president's format. Moreover, Medinsky has a not entirely clear status. It is unlikely that this person will be able to resolve fundamental issues. Knowing the system of power in Russia, we must understand that even ministers, such as Lavrov, are unlikely to be authorized to make those or other decisions that are the idée fixe of Putin himself," Podolyak explained.
Reaction of Donald Trump
On Sunday, May 11, President Donald Trump made the first statement regarding a possible meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin, publishing a corresponding post.
"Potentially a great day for Russia and Ukraine! Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved when this endless "bloodbath" hopefully ends. It will be a completely new and much better WORLD. I will continue to work with both sides to make sure this happens. The US wants to focus on rebuilding and trade. A big week ahead!" - wrote Trump.
Negotiations between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Recep Erdogan
On May 12, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The parties discussed key details of the meeting in Turkey, which may help end the war, and the President emphasized that Ukraine is ready for direct negotiations with Russian dictator Putin
"I spoke with President Erdogan. We discussed key details of the meeting in Turkey, which may help end the war. I am grateful for the support and readiness to contribute to diplomacy at the highest level. We equally see the need for a ceasefire. It is also necessary for partners to ensure monitoring of the ceasefire. We are ready for direct negotiations with Putin," - wrote Zelenskyy.
What Volodymyr Zelenskyy expects
The President of Ukraine stated that he is ready to meet with Russian dictator Putin in Ankara or Istanbul. He noted that if Putin arrives, he will do everything to agree on a ceasefire. He said that there is already a corresponding agreement with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"We have discussed with Erdogan that I will have a meeting with him in the capital of Turkey - Ankara. It will be on Thursday, May 15. We will be waiting for a meeting with Putin in Turkey, so that Russia does not manipulate cities and say that Putin is not ready to fly to Ankara, but is ready to fly only to Istanbul, I immediately want to say that if Putin flies to Istanbul, and not the capital, I sent a signal to Erdogan and the Turkish side is ready that Erdogan and I will fly to Istanbul," Zelenskyy said.
At the same time, Zelenskyy emphasized that the primary subject of negotiations will be a ceasefire. Only this will make it possible to discuss all other elements of ending the war. He also emphasized that only after the political will of the leaders is there any point in negotiations in the format of working groups.
"If Putin says today "I don't want to", again there can be a billion reasons - first he wanted to, then he realized that I am ready - he doesn't want to anymore. But if there is a step, if he says that he wants a ceasefire, then this will be the way to discuss all other elements of ending the war," Zelenskyy explained.
Zelenskyy also added that if Putin does not come to Turkey, then sanctions against the Russian Federation should be strengthened. In particular, the 17th package, which is currently being considered by the European Union.
"I believe that this means that there will be no result in one format or another, any meetings, etc. Everything has gone deep enough into the issue of a ceasefire," Zelenskyy said.
What they say in the Russian Federation
After the statement of Vladimir Putin on May 11, the aggressor country never confirmed the direct participation of Russian dictator Putin in the meeting with the Ukrainian delegation.
"Nothing has changed in this plan. We will do everything when we receive the appropriate instructions from the president. There have been no such instructions so far. But I can confirm that everything said by the president. The Russian delegation will wait for the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul on May 15 on Thursday. That is, tomorrow," - reported Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
This is not the first time that the Russian side has evaded a direct answer to this question.
Peskov only repeated vague theses that US President Donald Trump can use his enormous influence on Ukraine to "force it to get closer to the idea of negotiations." According to him, Kyiv is not ready for this.
"Putin supported a ceasefire, but on the condition that when the Russian army confidently advances on the front, the supply of Western weapons and the training of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel should be stopped for the duration of the truce, otherwise this period will give Ukraine an advantage," Peskov said.
It is also worth paying attention to the fact that, unlike the Ukrainian president, Putin did not personally comment on his presence or absence at the negotiations in Turkey in any way. The Washington Post wrote that Russia will be represented at the negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin's foreign policy aide Yuriy Ushakov.
What partners expect
The US State Department believes that negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul could bring the parties closer to a ceasefire and the establishment of lasting peace. According to US State Department Speaker Tommy Pigott, this meeting could be decisive.
"As the president (Donald Trump - ed.) said, this is a critical opportunity to try to reach a ceasefire and try to achieve lasting peace. The president has made it clear that he wants these direct talks to take place," - said Pigott.
US President Donald Trump said that the American delegation will participate in the meeting. It will be headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
"I very much hope that there will be negotiations on Thursday, and there are already the first results. Our people will go there. Marco Rubio will go there. We very much hope that we can do something," - said Trump.
At the same time, President Trump himself, despite his constant statements that Putin can be dealt with, said on Wednesday that he does not know whether the Russian dictator will appear at the negotiations in Turkey.
"He would like me to be there, and it's possible. I don't know if he will be there if I'm not there. We're going to figure it out," Trump told reporters traveling aboard Air Force One to Qatar, Reuters reports.
According to the publication, Donald Trump said he may visit Turkey for negotiations as part of his trip to the Middle East this week.
The United States also expressed hope that President Putin will participate in possible peace negotiations in Istanbul. Earlier, Reuters reported that Washington does not expect Moscow to announce plans to participate in negotiations in Turkey until Thursday.
Turkish officials do not expect a visit from US President Donald Trump on Thursday, but they do not completely rule out the possibility of a trip in the coming days, especially if Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin joins him, high-ranking Turkish officials said on condition of anonymity.
Special Representative of US President Donald Trump Steve Witkoff announced that together with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he will travel to Turkey on Friday, May 16, to participate in Russian-Ukrainian negotiations.
According to Reuters, Witkoff told reporters in Doha that it is still unclear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate in the planned negotiations.
As for European leaders, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday, May 13, that the EU is ready for tougher sanctions against Russia if no progress is made this week in ending the war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy is ready for negotiations.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced on the evening of May 14 that Ukraine and Russia are trying to coordinate their positions. They are trying to do this without losing their positions in public diplomacy and strategic political communication.
"There is an incredibly intense diplomatic exchange going on right now. Many parties are negotiating with each other. Negotiations are scheduled in Istanbul tomorrow. There are certain delegations. There are delegations whose composition is still being determined," Fidan said.
The chief diplomat of Turkey noted that the exact format is not yet clear.
"Now the parties are trying to coordinate their positions. On the other hand, of course, they are trying to do this without losing their positions in public diplomacy and strategic political communication. We understand this, frankly speaking. Because everyone has their own base... But the important strategic goal for us is to achieve a ceasefire and start systematic peace negotiations as soon as possible. This is a very important issue for our region," - said Fidan.
Instead of conclusions
The Russians intend to keep all civilized countries, not only Ukraine, in suspense. Today they emphasized several times that they will not disclose the composition of their delegation. It is also unclear whether Vladimir Putin will be there. Most likely, only tomorrow the world will see how sincere the Russian dictator's intentions were about the negotiations he announced on May 11.
lavrov will not participate in negotiations in Istanbul - Russian media14.05.25, 18:03 • 4359 views
In the event that Putin once again refuses direct negotiations, there is hope that it will finally become clear to some leaders that the Russian dictator is pursuing only one goal - to destroy Ukraine.
