Ukraine-Russia spoke to open in Istanbul without Putin, Kremlin confirmed

London-Representative Ukraine and Russia will meet in Istanbul, Türkiye, on Thursday, for their first meeting since the opening weeks of Moscow’s 3-year invasion of his neighbors.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend Thursday’s conversation, although there is an invitation from Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a face -to -face meeting between the two leaders.

The return to Istanbul is symbolic, a historic Turkish city that has hosted the most successful diplomacy explosion in three years of destroying war.

There in March 2022 that Ukraine and Russian negotiators produced the Istanbul Communication-Working Framework for a Possible Peace Agreement to end the new Russian full scale invasion.

The sacrifice is basically one of Ukraine who receives permanent neutrality – which means forever leaves hope to become a member of NATO – with a rewards for security guarantees Ironclad.

The next intensification of the war and evidence that arose from the alleged Russian war crimes – as well as the suspicion of the Sabotage Operation against the participants of the peace talks – fatally damaged the initial peace efforts.

Then, Istanbul is also a center for the initiative of black sea seeds that lasted from 2022 to 2023, which with the support of Turkey and the United Nations for a while allowing safe wheat exports and other agricultural goods from the Port of Ukraine and Russia through the Black World – which at that time became the key to the key battle – the rest of the world.

Kremlin Aide Vladimir Medinsky – who led the conversation in 2022 – will lead the Russian delegation.

Medinsky will join Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin and Igor Kostyukov, Head of the Russian Military Intelligence Agency.

Zelenskyy and Putin last met in person in France in 2019 for the Normand Format session, a peace forum held with France and Germany in an effort to end conflicts in East Ukraine.

The battle there was touched by Russia’s dispute against Crimea and the next retarder from the separatist rebellion against Kyiv in the Donbas region. The full scale invasion of 2022 Moscow is a continuation of the initial cross -boundary aggression, with the Russian column soaring out of the occupied Crimea, Donetsk and Luhanansk to seize more regions.

Zelenskyy said that at this week’s press conference he would not meet with other Russian representatives, because “everything in Russia depends” on the President. “I will go to Türkiye and I’m ready to meet Putin,” said Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy is expected to be in the Capital of Türkiye Ankara on Thursday to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

President Donald Trump – who since returning to the office has sought a ceasefire and finally a peaceful agreement – suggested this week that he hoped for progress in Thursday’s discussion.

“I think we have the good news that comes out of there today and maybe tomorrow and maybe Friday,” Trump said at the time of arrival in Qatar on Wednesday.

The President even hinted at him that he might even travel to Istanbul, even though he did not say whether he hoped that Putin did the same thing.

“Well, I don’t know if he appeared,” Trump said about his Russian colleague. “He wants me to be there, and that is likely. If we can end the war, I will think about it,” Trump added.

The US delegation to Türkiye includes State Secretary Marco Rubio and senior delegates Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg. Speaking at the NATO Foreign Minister’s meeting in Istanbul on Thursday, Rubio said his hopes for the upcoming Ukraine-Russian talks, “We will see what will happen for the next few days.”

“I will say this, and I will repeat it, that there is no military solution for the Russian-Ukraine conflict, Rubio continued.” This war will end not through military solutions, but through the diplomatic, and the faster the agreement can be achieved to end this war, less people, less people will die and less destruction will exist. “” “” “” “”

Trump, Rubio said, “Interested in building something, not destroying. He wants an economy and countries that focus on building something, making something, providing opportunities and prosperity for his people, and he opposes all the things that prevent it from happening, such as war, such as terrorism and all the instability that accompany it.”

Putin proposed the discussion last weekend, in response to the request of Ukraine, which was supported by French, German, British and Poland leaders during a joint visit to Kyiv-for a full 30-day ceasefire during the time of peace talks that could be continued. Trump approved the plan by telephone, said European leaders.

But Trump then also supported Putin’s offer to restart the conversation that collapsed in 2022. Trump even openly urged Zelenskyy to “immediately” approve the meeting.

Apart from the importance of the new Ukraine-Russian direct talks, the senior Russian senior Ignatov-Analyst of the Senior International Crisis said to ABC News that he had low hopes of direct breakthrough.

“Russia clearly says that they are interested in maintaining military and diplomatic pressure in Ukraine,” he said. “They clearly say that there will be long negotiations and Ukraine must be prepared for this.”

While Trump is restless for the agreement, he can sell as a political victory, Kyiv and Moscow maneuver to avoid mistakes on the failure of peace talks – and the next Dodge Trump.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with Rubio on Wednesday in Istanbul. “I reiterate the commitment of Ukraine which is strong and consistent for President Trump’s peace efforts and thanked the United States for his involvement,” wrote former Om X.

“We are ready to advance our cooperation in a constructive and mutually beneficial way,” he added. “It is very important that Russia replied to Ukraine’s constructive steps. So far, not yet. Moscow must understand that rejecting peace comes with costs.”