Triple meetings between Turks, Americans and Russians on the one hand, and Turks, Americans and Ukrainians, on the other, will take place today (16/5) in but expectations for progress in are low. , not even if there will be a four -day meeting with the participation of Turks, Americans, Russians and Ukrainians.
In Constantinople Russian and Ukrainian dealership – absent Zelenski
Zelenski yesterday in Ankara.
The first peace talks after three years were to start yesterday (Thursday 15/5) in Istanbul but were postponed for today. The Russian and the Ukrainian delegation arrived in different cities- the first to Constantinople, the second in Ankara- and most of the day yesterday was dedicated to discussions and negotiations on whether they would eventually be in the same city. After a period of uncertainty, the Ukrainian president decided to send a delegation to Constantinople, without his own involvement. But as Donald Trump said ,. However, there is no indication that such a last -minute summit will take place.
Zelenski: “Second sorting the Russian delegation”
Members of the Russian delegation in Istanbul Turkey, May 15, 2025. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov
Rustem Umero, Ukrainian Defense Minister, was head of the Ukrainian delegation who arrived in Constantinople last night. He is considered an experienced negotiator, he comes from Crimea, has experience in the Crimean Tatars’ struggle and, as President Zelenski said yesterday, speaks good English, Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian. Head of the Russian delegation, which Zelenski described as “second sorting”, is Vladimir Mentinsky, a former Russian Minister of Culture.
US participation
Keith Kogg, President Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, arrived in Constantinople yesterday, while Steve Whitkov, a special envoy of Trump for the Middle East and Russia, are expected today, and possibly US Secretary of State Mark.
Yesterday’s diplomatic thriller between Ukraine -Russia
Vladimir Mentinsky, head of the Russian delegation in Istanbul, gives a press conference to Istanbul
Turkey, May 15, 2025. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
Thursday’s chaotic diplomacy, with the two delegations in two different Turkish cities and everything in the air until the last minute, showed the large divergence between Moscow and Kiev on how the war would end. Zelenski wants an immediate unconditional truce, which will be followed by peace negotiations. Putin, who has the upper hand on the battlefields, refuses to stop the war if he does not previously secure great concessions from Kiev and the West.
Escalation of hostilities in Ukraine
The sad thing is that after taking over Trump’s duties in late January and efforts for peace talks, hostilities are much more intense than the same period last year, according to UN data. Russian drone attacks have increased, the number of civilians who died, the blows to Ukrainian cities and against non -military targets, while, on the military, the Russian forces opened two more fronts in eastern Ukraine.
