Preparations are underway for a planned meeting between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Istanbul on Thursday (May 15).
| Russia-Ukraine Summit planned in Istanbul for Thursday |
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| Russia-Ukraine Summit planned in Istanbul for Thursday |
Although Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has announced he will be present at the meeting, the attendance of Russian President Vladimir Putin remains a question mark.
US President Donald Trump had offered to add Istanbul as a stop on his Middle Eastern tour of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar “if it would be useful.” On Tuesday afternoon, however, Trump closed the door on the possibility of an Istanbul visit.
The US President’s tour of the three Gulf states kicked off today when he landed in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
While Zelensky has publicly expressed his wishes that Putin personally attend the meeting, the presence of the Russian leader and upper echelon of Kremlin officials is uncertain amidst pending arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
If Putin is unable to personally attend the summit, a representative will be appointed in his place, according to an announcement by Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday. The Russian President had previously expressed a desire to join the meeting, emphasizing in a recent video address “the need for a permanent and durable peace”.
The Russian and Ukrainian leaders have not met face-to-face since 2019.
Turkey’s mediator role
Turkey has increasingly sought a mediator role in regional conflicts in recent years.
In January, Sudanese leader Abdulfettah al-Burhan confirmed his government had accepted Turkey’s offer to serve as a mediator in the country’s ongoing civil war.
In February, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Ankara just a week after hosting Ukrainian President Zelensky in talks aimed at ending the three-plus year-long war.
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The beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian war also saw Turkey host both foreign ministers in Antalya for talks, as well as the brokering of a grain deal that lasted from July 2022-July 2023 and allowed for the safe passage of grain exports from southern Ukraine across the Black Sea.
Written/translated for Medyascope by Leo Kendrick
