Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Kyiv will evaluate its next steps after a key meeting held Thursday in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. During the meeting, Erdogan reaffirmed his recognition of Crimea as part of Ukraine—an acknowledgment Zelensky publicly welcomed.
Following the talks, Zelensky made it clear he will not personally take part in peace negotiations with Russia. Instead, he will send a high-level delegation as a sign of respect toward the leaders of the United States and Turkey, and to demonstrate Ukraine’s commitment to ending the war. “Out of respect for President Trump, President Erdogan, and the high-level Turkish delegation, I have decided not to attend personally. We want to take real steps toward a ceasefire and de-escalation,” he said.
Zelensky had previously challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to a face-to-face meeting, with U.S. President Donald Trump present. However, Putin declined after several days of consideration. The Kremlin confirmed that Putin will not attend the talks in Turkey, instead appointing his presidential adviser, Vladimir Medinsky, to represent Moscow. Medinsky, who also led the failed negotiation attempt in Istanbul in March 2022, stated on Thursday that Russia is ready to resume dialogue and explore “possible compromises.”
The Ukrainian delegation will be led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and include representatives from the Foreign Ministry, the Presidential Office, the military, and intelligence services. Zelensky stressed that Ukraine will be represented “at the highest level” to make decisions that could lead to “a just and lasting peace.”
In contrast, he criticized the composition of the Russian delegation, calling it “theatrical.” “We all know who makes the decisions in Russia,” Zelensky said, referring directly to Putin.
From Kyiv, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak had already warned earlier in the week that Zelensky would not meet with lower-level Russian officials in Istanbul if Putin failed to show up. “There’s no point in holding such negotiations under those conditions,” he stated.
