Ukraine warned Tuesday that if Russian President Vladimir Putin skips upcoming peace talks in Turkey, it would show the world he is not serious about ending the war – and called on Western allies to respond with more weapons and sanctions.
The talks, initially proposed by Putin on Sunday as a restart of the 2022 Turkey discussions, are tentatively scheduled for Thursday in Istanbul. If they take place, it would be the first face-to-face negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian officials since the early months of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited Putin to attend the meeting in person – an offer the Kremlin has not yet accepted.
“If Vladimir Putin refuses to come to Turkey, it will be the final signal that Russia does not want to end this war,” said Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s chief of staff. “Russia is not willing and not ready for any negotiations.”
White House reporters said US President Donald Trump urged both leaders to attend and said he was “thinking” about flying to the talks himself. “If I think things can happen, there’s a possibility of it,” Trump said Monday.
The Kremlin, meanwhile, refused to confirm whether Putin will take part or even name who would represent Russia.
“The Russian side continues to prepare for the talks,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. “That is all we can say at this point.”
Putin suggested the talks himself in a late-night address over the weekend after Ukraine and several European leaders pushed for a full, unconditional 30-day ceasefire. The Kremlin has not directly responded to that request but criticized what it called European “ultimatums.”
Zelensky’s office said that if Putin refuses to join the talks, the US and allies should respond with tougher sanctions and more military support.
“If Russia refuses to negotiate, there must be a strong response: new sanctions against Russia and increased military aid to Ukraine,” Yermak said.
Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said on Tuesday that Zelensky will not meet with anyone from the Russian side in Istanbul except for Russian President Vladimir Putin, since the lower-level talks would not be meaningful.
“We understand how Russia’s government works. Even ministers, or Prime Minister [Mikhail] Mishustin, likely don’t have the power to make decisions. Only Putin can decide whether to continue or end the war.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is hosting the meeting, urged both sides to seize what he called a “window of opportunity” for peace.
Putin has said any talks must address the “root causes” of the war – vague language often used by Moscow to justify the invasion. These include claims of protecting Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine, blocking NATO expansion, and “de-Nazifying” Ukraine – arguments Kyiv and the West reject as baseless pretexts for a land grab.
Russia and Ukraine last held direct talks in Istanbul in March 2022 but failed to reach a deal. Since then, communication has been limited, mostly focused on prisoner exchanges and humanitarian issues.