Will Putin and Trump turn up to Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul tomorrow?

TALKS AIMED AT getting Ukraine and Russia closer to a ceasefire agreement are due to take place in Turkey tomorrow.

However, it’s still not clear just exactly who will be attending.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that he’ll be there and he called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to show his face as well.

If the two leaders meet in person, it will be their first time to do so in years.

Here’s what we know about the talks and who may or may not be there.

Who is expected to attend?

Zelenskyy said earlier this week that he would be willing to meet Putin in Turkey “personally”.

Ukraine’s Minister for Foreign Affairs has said that there should be “additional strong pressure on Russia” internationally if Putin “continues to reject the full and durable ceasefire” and avoids meeting Zelenskyy.

The Kremlin is confirmed to be sending a delegation but it has declined to say who exactly will be part of it and whether Putin will attend.

The Kremlin has declined to say who would be part of its delegation, and if Putin would attend.

Trump has said there is a possibility of him travelling to Turkey for the talks if Putin also attends.

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“I don’t know that he [Putin] would be there if I’m not there,” Trump told reporters  today. “I know he would like me to be there, and that’s a possibility. If we could end the war, I’d be thinking about that.”

Trump is currently on his first overseas trip since the start of this presidential term and is due to be in United Arab Emirates tomorrow.

But when asked about visiting Turkey he said: “That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it to save a lot of lives.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is already set to travel to Istanbul on Friday.

“Marco is going and Marco has been very effective,” Trump said.  

Where do the talks stand?

The fundamental differences between Ukraine and Russia are far from being resolved.

Russia insists talks need to address what it says are the “root causes” of the conflict, including the “denazification” and demilitarisation of Ukraine, two vague terms Moscow has used to justify the invasion.

It has also repeated that Ukraine must cede its territory occupied by Russian troops.

Kyiv said it won’t recognise its territories as Russian — though Zelenskyy has acknowledged that Ukraine might have to use diplomatic means to get them back.

The two warring parties are struggling to agree even on a ceasefire.

Ukraine had agreed last month to the US proposal of an unconditional ceasefire, which Zelenskyy said was a prerequisite for negotiations.

But Putin, whose troops have the momentum in parts of the frontline, rejected the proposal.

Why are the talks in Istanbul?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said a “historic turning point” has been reached in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war and his country was ready to host talks between the two warring parties.

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Nato member Turkey has sought to maintain good relations with both of its Black Sea neighbours since the Russian invasion began and has twice hosted talks aimed at ending the war.

At the talks in Istanbul in March 2022, Moscow and Kyiv officials met and discussed an outline to end the war.

But the 2022 talks broke down following Russia’s retreat from the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, where hundreds of civilians were found killed following a month-long occupation by Russian forces.

Contact between the warring sides has been limited since and mainly dedicated to humanitarian issues like prisoner-of-war exchanges and the repatriation of soldiers’ remains.

What happens next?

Zelenskyy said in Kyiv that the West should impose massive sanctions if Putin skips the meeting.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, two top EU leaders, warned Russia that there will be new sweeping sanctions if no substantial progress is reached in Turkey this week.

The EU approved a fresh package of sanctions today on Russia, which is already subject to over 20,000 restrictive measures, clamping down on its “shadow” oil fleet.

In late March, Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Russian oil, earnings from which are vital for the country’s budget, which is strained by high military expenditures for the grinding three-year war.

Republican Senator Lindsay Graham was advocating a 500% tariff on imports from countries that continue buying Russian oil, gas, and uranium.

Additional reporting by Lauren Boland