In a major political development, both Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump have vowed they won’t attend the Ukraine peace addresses listed for Thursday in Istanbul. These would have been the first direct accommodations between Kyiv and Moscow in three times.
Despite Putin’s original offer for the addresses to happen “ without any preconditions, ” the Kremlin verified late Wednesday that the Russian delegation will rather be led by elderly crackers, including presidential counsel Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin. Putin’s absence from the delegation was notable, especially after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy openly challenged him to attend in person.
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Meanwhile, President Trump, presently on a Middle East stint, has decided not to share, however before statements suggested he was considering attending. A U.S. functionary verified the decision following the Kremlin’s advertisement of its delegation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, will represent the United States.
The absence of the two world leaders is extensively viewed as a blow to prospects for any substantial progress in resolving the conflict that began with Russia’s irruption of Ukraine in February 2022. Zelenskiy had indicated his amenability to engage in addresses only if Putin was present. In a videotape address, he emphasized the origins and implicit resolution of the war taradiddle in Moscow.
President Trump is pushing for a 30- day ceasefire and has expressed growing frustration with both sides. He has floated the idea of assessing secondary warrants on Russia if it obstructs peace talks. U.S. officers have refocused on implicit fiscal penalties and warrants on buyers of Russian oil painting.
On the ground, Russian forces continue to make earnings, now holding about 20 percent of Ukrainian homes. The Kremlin’s offer for the Istanbul addresses substantiated a failed 2022 draft agreement, under which Ukraine would borrow endless impartiality in exchange for transnational security guarantees. Still, Kyiv has made it clear that impartiality remains anon-negotiable issue.
As the political geography remains uncertain, the world watches nearly to see if any meaningful way toward peace can crop from the Istanbul meeting, despite the absence of its most important players.
