Ukraine Spy Chief: ‘Neither Putin Nor His Double’ Expected at Turkey Talks

Kyrylo Budanov, chief of Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR), told Kyiv Post that “neither [Vladimir] Putin nor his body double” is likely to appear at the high-stakes negotiations, tentatively scheduled for Thursday in Istanbul.

The talks, first proposed by Putin on Sunday, would mark the first face-to-face meeting between Russian and Ukrainian officials since the early months of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has invited Putin to attend in person – an offer the Kremlin has yet to accept.

Budanov spoke at an event on Wednesday, May 14, the details of which have not been disclosed for security reasons.

The Kremlin has remained silent for a third consecutive day on who will represent Russia. However, The Washington Post, citing senior Kremlin sources, reported that Putin is expected to skip the meeting and instead send Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and top foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov.

Putin’s spokesperson said Tuesday that names will be announced “when the president deems it necessary,” fueling speculation that Moscow may be waiting to see whether US President Donald Trump will also attend.

Trump, currently traveling through the Middle East, offered Wednesday to join the talks – but only if Putin appears as well.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg are expected in Istanbul from the US side.

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Zelensky said the move is important in the context of laying the groundwork for long-term social unity.

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.

Zelensky’s Chief of Staff, Andriy Yermak, warned that if 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.