Zelensky arrives in Turkey ahead of possible peace talks as Putin refuses to join

President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Turkey on May 15 ahead of potential ceasefire negotiations with Russia, even as Russian President Vladimir Putin is skipping the talks.

Zelensky's plane has landed at the Ankara airport. Later in the day, the Ukrainian president is set to hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Turkish capital. A Russian delegation is set to meet with Ukrainian representatives in Istanbul—without Putin.

Ukraine's president will decide on his next steps regarding peace talks with Russia after meeting with Erdogan, AFP reported earlier in the day, citing unnamed senior officials.

The Kremlin largely remained silent about the Russian president's plan before finally releasing details about their delegation late on May 14. Putin is not included in the list, nor are any other top-ranking Russian officials.

The negotiations will instead be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.

U.S. President Donald Trump initially voiced optimism about the prospects of a Zelensky-Putin meeting and suggested he might attend as well. However, a White House official on May 14 said that Trump will not attend the peace talks.

"I don't really believe that Putin himself is capable of meeting. It seems to me that he is afraid,"  Zelensky said in an interview with Spiegel published earlier this week.

Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on May 13 that Zelensky would not meet with lower-level Russian officials in Istanbul if Putin failed to appear, saying there would be no point in such negotiations.

Zelensky said on May 14 that he was waiting for information on Russia's decision before determining Ukraine's next steps. According to the Washington Post, U.S. and European officials reportedly urged Zelensky not to abandon the Istanbul talks regardless of Putin's participation.

While not in the cards for the May 15 talks, a presidential-level meeting could signal a breakthrough in stalled diplomatic efforts to end Russia's full-scale invasion. Zelensky and Putin met only once during the 2019 Normandy Four meeting in France. Since then, there have been no direct in-person meetings between the two presidents.

Zelensky said that a potential talk with Putin would center around an unconditional ceasefire and an all-for-all prisoner exchange.

It is unclear whether Zelensky will still join the Istanbul talks without Putin's participation.

Kyiv and its allies have proposed an unconditional 30-day ceasefire beginning on May 12 as a first step toward peace — a proposal that Russia has so far ignored.

Who else is visiting Turkey?

While no additional meetings have been officially announced, representatives from Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia are also arriving in Turkey.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Turkey on May 14 and met with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Antalya. Sybiha also met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan.

Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Istanbul with Rubio on May 16 to participate in discussions on Ukraine.

The Kremlin revealed its list of delegates late on May 14. In addition to Medinsky, Russia is sending Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Military Intelligence Director Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will not attend, nor will Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov.

There were no reports of any other scheduled meetings between Ukrainian, U.S., and Russian officials.