Kremlin excludes Putin attending Ukraine peace discussions
(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the upcoming peace negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed. His remarks come after former U.S. President Donald Trump hinted he might travel to Türkiye on Friday “if something happened,” though no plans have been finalized.
The talks, scheduled to resume Thursday, mark the first direct contact between Moscow and Kiev since 2022. That year’s negotiations produced a draft agreement offering Ukraine security guarantees in return for neutrality and military limitations—terms that Kiev ultimately rejected in favor of continued conflict with Western backing.
Putin recently proposed restarting peace discussions, with the U.S. acknowledging that such talks are a logical next step toward brokering a ceasefire. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky initially responded by expressing his willingness to participate in person, but insisted Putin also attend. Trump later commented that Putin had no reason to go if he himself wasn’t planning to be there.
Moscow has reiterated that its core objectives remain unchanged: a durable peace must address the root causes of the war, including Ukraine’s NATO ambitions and alleged mistreatment of ethnic Russians.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, commenting on Western support for Kiev, warned that even if Zelensky were replaced, the underlying nature of Ukraine’s current political regime would persist, calling it inherently hostile to Moscow’s interests.
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