Ukraine war: NATO puts pressure on Putin before talks begin
The essentials
- Russian and Ukrainian delegations are expected in Istanbul, Turkey, this Thursday for their first direct talks since spring 2022. The discussions will begin at 10 a.m. (local time), 9 a.m. (France).
- Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is not included in the Russian delegation, which consists of Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Director of Military Intelligence Igor Kostiukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin.
- In Vladimir Putin's absence, Volodymyr Zelensky's presence is no longer guaranteed. The Ukrainian head of state, however, has announced that he will be in Ankara this Thursday to meet with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
- Russia continues to demand that Ukraine renounce joining NATO and guarantees that it will retain the Ukrainian territories annexed by Moscow (Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia) and the Crimean Peninsula, annexed in 2014.
- For its part, Ukraine is demanding strong Western "security guarantees" to prevent any further Russian attacks and for Moscow's military to withdraw from its territory. Volodymyr Zelensky still publicly maintains that Kyiv will not cede Crimea. Finally, Kyiv wants a complete and unconditional 30-day ceasefire before any possible negotiations.
- "The ball is clearly in Russia's court," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Thursday upon his arrival in Antalya, Turkey, for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. Now, it is up to Russia to take "the next steps," he said.
According to Ukrainian officials speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP), after meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Volodymyr Zelensky will have to decide on the "next steps" in talks with Russia. These comments were reported in the columns of the newspaper Le Parisien on Thursday, May 15, 2025.
Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will begin at 9 a.m. (Paris time) this Thursday, May 15, 2025. They will be held behind closed doors for the press, according to the Russian news agency TASS, citing a source familiar with the discussions. The talks will take place—in addition to those from Ukraine and Russia—in the presence of US and Turkish officials. According to TASS, the negotiations will take place at Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul.
According to the pro-state news agency Interfax, the Russian delegation has just arrived in Turkey by plane. It consists of Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Director of Military Intelligence Igor Kostiukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin. "The Russian delegation has landed" in Istanbul, another informed source quoted by Ria Novosti as saying. Unsurprisingly, Vladimir Putin is not part of it, as the first direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow since 2022 begin.
"I remain cautiously optimistic that if the Russians are willing to play the game, and not just the Ukrainians, they are willing to play the game, (...) progress could be made in the next two weeks," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said upon arriving in Antalya, Turkey, for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
END OF LIVE - The Kremlin revealed this Wednesday evening that the Russian president will not be traveling to Istanbul (Turkey) in person this Thursday, May 15, and will therefore not be meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Vladimir Putin is not on the list of the Russian delegation that will attend. We learned that presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin, and the head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff, Vice Admiral Igor Kostyukov, will be making the trip.
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