Trilateral format: Talks between Ukraine and Russia start on Friday

Ukraine and Russia are scheduled to meet in Turkey for the first direct talks in several years. Following Putin's cancellation, Zelenskyy also declined to attend in person. US Secretary of State Rubio expressed pessimism about the meeting.

Talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul are scheduled to begin on Friday. Talks between Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and a Russian delegation in Istanbul ended late this evening and are scheduled to continue with the Ukrainians on Friday, according to a Foreign Ministry source. "The meeting is over. There will be further talks in various formats tomorrow," the source said, noting that "trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey are on the agenda."

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has apparently already left Turkey. Aircraft tracking data indicates that his plane is no longer in Turkish airspace. It is unknown, however, whether the president is on board. He was in Ankara to prepare for potential direct talks with Russia in Istanbul. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not arrive in Turkey, prompting Zelensky to ultimately announce that he would not travel on to Istanbul.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is pessimistic about the exchanges between the Russian and Ukrainian sides. "We don't have high expectations for what will happen tomorrow," Rubio said. He doesn't believe there will be a breakthrough in talks on a ceasefire in Ukraine until US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin "sit face to face," he added.

Ukrainian delegation located at "highest level"

The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected criticism that Moscow had only sent second-string peace negotiators to Turkey. The most qualified experts had come, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the Russian state news agency Tass.

These experts are ready and competent to discuss all topics: "International law – please, the situation on the ground – please, issues of hostilities – please," she explained.

The Ukrainian delegation, however, is, according to Zelensky, "at the highest level." It is led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. "The Foreign Ministry, the Presidential Administration, the army, and our intelligence services" are represented "to make any decisions that can lead to a just peace," Zelensky said.