After five days of uncertainty surrounding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer of direct talks with Ukraine, Thursday — the anticipated start date — delivered only more disarray. A seven-hour media stakeout along the Bosphorus, chaotic scenes outside the Russian consulate, and, finally, a late-day decision by Ukraine’s president hinted at a possible breakthrough in one of Europe’s most entrenched conflicts.
The confusion that played out in Istanbul underscored the fragile nature of the moment. As reporters gathered early at the Dolmabahçe Palace, Ukraine had yet to confirm its participation or announce who would represent its side. A Turkish foreign ministry source told CNN there was still “no scheduled meeting,” reinforcing the precariousness of the diplomacy underway.
Instead of attending the long-speculated talks himself, Russian President Vladimir Putin was confirmed by the Kremlin to be a no-show, leaving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara.
“Waiting is better than knowing the result,” quipped Stanislav Ivashchenko, a correspondent with the Russian defense ministry’s Zvezda TV channel, as he stood among the caffeine-fueled crowd of journalists. “Everyone is tired of this,” he told CNN, referring to the grinding war in Ukraine. “But we will defend our position.”
That unyielding stance helps explain why Putin abruptly proposed a new round of talks five days earlier. Pressured by an ultimatum from Kyiv and its Western allies — agree to a 30-day ceasefire or face sweeping new sanctions — the Russian leader appeared to opt for a third route.
“We are proposing that the Kyiv authorities resume the negotiations they cut off in 2022,” Putin said during a press briefing early Sunday. To underscore the message, he chose Istanbul — site of the last direct talks — and reinstated the same chief negotiator: Vladimir Medinsky, a former culture minister and current chairman of Russia’s Military-Historical Society.
“The delegation is committed to a constructive approach,” Vladimir Medinsky declared briefly on Thursday afternoon outside the Russian consulate, declining to take any questions. The media frenzy was so intense that consular staff threatened to cancel the briefing unless journalists settled down.
Medinsky framed the direct talks as an effort to “establish long-term peace by addressing the root causes of the conflict.” That phrase—“root causes”—reminded observers of just how wide the gulf remains, since Russia’s definition spans everything from Ukraine’s NATO ambitions to its very existence as an independent state.
Adding further complexity, both Russia and Ukraine are now weighing their moves against their evolving relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump. On Thursday, Trump again hinted he might attend the talks himself, saying he would consider going on Friday “if something happened.” Meanwhile, White House envoys Keith Kellogg and Steve Witkoff are already scheduled to be in Istanbul that day.
Zelensky did not hide Trump’s influence on his decision to engage. After his meeting with Erdoğan in the late afternoon, the Ukrainian president announced he would send a delegation to Istanbul led by a higher-ranking official than Russia’s—a sign of deference “out of respect for President Trump.” The delegation would be headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Russia, too, is watching Trump closely, holding out hope for the “reset” in relations he has promised. Trump may have fueled those hopes further on Thursday, telling reporters in Abu Dhabi, “Nothing’s gonna happen until Putin and I get together.”
Former Russian diplomat Boris Bondarev, who resigned from his post in Geneva in 2022, sees a potential Trump-Putin meeting as a major victory for Moscow, while Putin remains disinterested in talks with Zelensky.
“Two great powers should sit down and decide how the smaller countries live under their umbrella,” Bondarev told CNN from Switzerland. “That’s Putin’s worldview. That’s why Zelensky doesn’t fit.”
