Kremlin Remains Silent on Delegation for Ukraine Talks in Turkey

MOSCOW, 14 May 2025 (BSS/AFP) – The Kremlin has once again declined to confirm who it will send to this week’s anticipated talks with Ukraine in Turkey, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend in person.

These discussions, set to take place in Istanbul, would mark the first direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials since the early weeks of Moscow’s military offensive, which began in February 2022. However, concrete details about the format and participants remain scarce.

In a late-night address from the Kremlin over the weekend, Putin himself called for the talks, yet Moscow has consistently avoided confirming whether the president will attend or who will represent Russia at the negotiations.

When questioned by AFP on Wednesday about the composition of the Russian delegation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to provide specifics, stating only that, “The Russian delegation will be waiting for the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul on 15 May.”

Peskov added that he would offer further information “when we get the relevant instructions from the president,” but noted that “no such instructions have been received yet.”

Meanwhile, Zelensky is expected to travel to Turkey, where he has said he plans to hold talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on either Wednesday or Thursday. The Ukrainian leader has also called for US President Donald Trump to attend, arguing that Trump’s presence could persuade Putin to participate in person.

Trump has indicated he is considering the trip, though on Tuesday, US officials confirmed that Senator Marco Rubio would be in Turkey for the talks instead. Rubio is expected to arrive in Istanbul on Friday, adding further uncertainty to the precise timing of the discussions.

Separately, NATO foreign ministers are gathering from Wednesday in the Turkish coastal city of Antalya to discuss increased defence spending, just hours before the planned Russia-Ukraine talks are due to begin.