Ukraine's President Zelensky accuses Russia of sending "stand-in props" to peace talks in Turkey, after Moscow confirms Putin will not attend
Zelensky, who is Ankara, had challenged Putin to meet him - saying he would only attend the talks if Putin was there
In response to Zelensky's "stand-in props" comment, Russia's foreign ministry calls Ukraine's president a "clown and a loser"
The meeting between Russian, Ukrainian and US delegations will begin this afternoon Russia's foreign ministry says - but the Russian delegation seems to be very junior, writes Vitaliy Shevchenko
Donald Trump says he may travel to Istanbul on Friday if talks make progress today - the US president is on a four-day visit to the Middle East
With lots going on in Turkey, we look at who's where
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Reporting from Istanbul
So in the past hour Russia has called Zelensky “a clown”, “a loser” and a “pathetic person”.
These insults are indicative of Russia’s attitude to Ukraine and its leader, and show that the Kremlin is as unwilling to compromise as ever.
How will the Ukrainians respond? Will they send anyone at all to meet the Russian delegation in Istanbul after this?
Matt Spivey
Live editor
Image source, EPAZelensky is travelling to meet Turkish President Erdogan in Ankara
Talks in Istanbul between Ukrainian, Russian and US delegations had been scheduled for 10:00 local time (08:00 BST) in Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace.
Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, says the talks have been postponed until later today, at Turkey's behest.
Russia's delegation, headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, have arrived.
But, sources in Turkey's foreign ministry tell the BBC "there is no scheduled meeting yet". We're told they will provide an update if, or when, plans for a meeting are finalised.
They confirm that a Russian delegation and some US officials have arrived in Istanbul, as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting Nato foreign ministers in Antalya.
Meanwhile Ukrainian President Zelensky has landed in Ankara in the past hour ahead of meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
We're waiting for more certainty on when Ukraine-Russia talks in Istanbul will happen, and we'll bring you the key developments as we get them. Stay with us.
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Reporting from Istanbul
We've just reported that Ukraine's President has called the Russian delegation in Istanbul, attending talks in place of Putin, "stand-in props".
A statement from the Ukrainian president's office says they have sent a "high-level delegation which can prepare necessary decisions".
"We state that Russia has unfortunately sent a rather low-level delegation with an unclear mandate to Turkey. We’ll issue an update about Ukraine’s relevant steps. We continue consultations with our partners," the statement adds.
In response to Zelensky's comment about the Russian delegation, the country's foreign ministry spokeswoman said: “A clown and a loser is talking about respected people.”
Danny Aeberhard
Europe analyst, BBC World Service
Image source, ReutersMoscow's announcement was last-minute and Ukraine now has to calibrate its next step accordingly.
The level of the delegation the Kremlin sent suggests there will be little progress, although Moscow insists it is ready for "serious" talks. How serious may yet be tested.
Perhaps Moscow hopes the mere presence of the Russian delegation will be enough to head off a punitive response from the United States.
President Donald Trump has refrained from calling out Vladimir Putin. He has given no indication he considers the Russian leader's no-show a snub to his attempts to get a ceasefire that Ukraine agreed to in principle more than two months ago.
Trump seems far more ready to censure Volodymyr Zelensky than Putin at similar junctures.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is in Turkey for an informal meeting of Nato foreign ministers, stressed that only diplomacy, not military force, can end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
One question for Trump is whether he's already so invested in a diplomatic solution that he's actually limited his own practical leverage over the Russian president.
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Reporting from Istanbul
The Kremlin’s confirmation that Vladimir Putin is not going to Turkey is not surprising for the Ukrainians. But it is disappointing for the Americans, who spent so much time pressuring Ukraine and Russia to talk to each other.
The end result of that pressure is only a very low-level Russian delegation visiting Istanbul, whose members are in no way able to make important decisions.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s says Moscow seeks to remove “the root causes of the crisis” and create “lasting peace”, suggesting that the Kremlin’s demands are as maximalist as ever, and that Russia is not interested in the 30-day ceasefire demanded by Ukraine and its allies.
Hopes that talks in Turkey will result in tangible results on the ground in Ukraine were slim in the first place, and now they are fading by the hour.
Image source, ReutersAfter disembarking his plane, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave a short speech on the tarmac of Esenboga Airport in Ankara, Turkey.
He adds that Ukraine is in contact with the US delegation regarding talks with Russia.
Zelensky, speaking about Russia's delegation in Istanbul, says: "Officially, I’m not aware of the Russian’s level [of representation]. But from what we’ve seen they look like stand-in props."
The president adds that Ukraine will decide its next steps after he meets Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Image source, ReutersVolodymyr Zelensky has arrived in the Turkish capital, Ankara, for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Ukrainian president has stepped off the plane and been welcomed by Turkish military members on the airport tarmac.
A bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Erdogan is expected to be held within the hour.
We'll keep you up to date with the key developments from their meeting.
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Reporting from Istanbul
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Putin is not going to attend peace talks in Turkey.
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Reporting from Istanbul
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova says talks in Istanbul have moved to this afternoon “at Turkey’s initiative”.
Image source, ReutersEarlier, US President Donald Trump said he might travel to Turkey on Friday if peace talks make progress today.
Russia has said Vladimir Putin is not due to attend peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul today.
In response to a question about Putin during a news conference in Qatar, Trump says: "Why would he go if I'm not going? Because I wasn't going to go. I wasn't planning to. I would go, but I wasn't planning to go."
The US president adds: "And I said, I don't think he's going to go if I don't go. And that turned out to be right, but we have people there.
"Marco as you know, is doing a fantastic job. Marco's there, Secretary of State, and we have people there, but I don't, I don't. I didn't think it was possible for Putin to go if I'm not there."
Tom Bateman
US State Department correspondent, reporting from Antalya, Turkey
Image source, ReutersTrump and Putin pictured here shaking hands back in 2018
The mood feels pretty deflated around the American delegation in Turkey, who are with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Mediterranean beach resort of Antalya.
This meeting of Nato foreign ministers was long planned, but the major issue of course is the Russia-Ukraine talks and whether they will happen in Istanbul.
If the goal of US officials at Trump’s direction was to goad or entice Putin to travel here to Turkey, that – so far – seems to have failed.
And so their own level of interest in the low-level Russia-Ukraine talks feels, well, low. Rubio’s language at the opening of the Nato meeting was lacklustre.
He spoke of “seeing what happens” with the talks and “whatever mechanism is outlined”.
Gone are the threats of nearly three weeks ago when he said “we are now at a time” that the US would pull out as mediators if Russia and Ukraine didn’t make concrete progress.
Instead the Europeans are trying to pile pressure on Putin - saying only Zelensky has shown he wants peace by coming to Turkey.
But without Washington backing that approach, it feels like it’s Putin not Trump calling the shots on this process.
Image source, Getty Images"I will be in Türkiye this Thursday, May 15, and I expect Putin to come to Türkiye as well," Zelensky wrote on 11 May
11 May
Following calls from Ukraine's European allies for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, Russian President Putin does not commit to their proposal.
Instead, he calls for direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul "without pre-conditions".
Ukraine's President Zelensky announces he'll go to Turkey in person and calls for Putin to meet him there.
14 May
US President Donald Trump floats the possibility of joining the peace talks in Istanbul, if Putin does.
The US president, who is in Qatar, tells reporters he doesn't know if Putin would attend without him there.
Zelensky writes on social media: "I am waiting to see who will come from Russia, and then I will decide which steps Ukraine should take."
Later, Russia says Vladimir Putin is not due to attend peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul.
15 May
Russia's delegation arrives in Istanbul, as Putin briefs them ahead of peace talks.
Rubio meets Nato foreign ministers in Antalya, he says US wants "progress within days". Trump says he may go to Turkey if peace talks make progress.
Russian sources say peace talks in Istanbul will go ahead today, Ukrainian sources say they will take place tomorrow.
Orla Guerin
Reporting from Istanbul
For now at least, it looks like the man who started the war in Ukraine will stay away from talks about trying to end it.
President Vladimir Putin never said explicitly that he would attend, and the chances always appeared slim.
The talks are now expected to go ahead – between officials on both sides – either this afternoon or tomorrow in Istanbul.
Russian sources say it will be today. Ukrainian sources say it will be tomorrow.
President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. But, he has made it clear he won’t negotiate with anyone except the Russian leader.
For now, the optics of this look good for Ukraine. President Zelensky was willing “at a moment’s notice" to travel to Istanbul if President Putin turned up.
He can’t be blamed for torpedoing the talks.
Steve Rosenberg
Russia editor, reporting from Istanbul
Image source, EPAIt’s the question we’ve been asking all week ever since Vladimir Putin called for direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul - would the Kremlin leader travel to Turkey to take part, or would he stay home?
Late last night we finally got the answer: "No" - or might that be "not yet"?
The Russian delegation for today’s talks features no President Putin and no Russian minister. It will be headed by presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky: a former culture minister and now chairman of the Russian Union of Writers.
Medinsky led the Russian delegation last time Moscow and Kyiv held face-to-face talks in 2022.
Joining him is a deputy defence minister, a deputy foreign minister and a military intelligence chief.
Based on the make-up of Moscow’s negotiating team, Kremlin critics have accused Russia of not being serious about peace.
Yet if they go ahead later today, these will be the first face-to-face peace talks between Russia and Ukraine for more than three years. That, in itself, feels like an important moment.
It’s often when expectations are low that an (unexpected) breakthrough happens. Much today will depend on the agenda at the talks.
Will they discuss, for example, a long-term unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine? That’s something that Kyiv, European leaders and America have been pushing for, but which Russia has been resisting.
Progress on that issue could pave the way for more senior figures to join the discussions.
Image source, ReutersUS President Donald Trump has just said he may go to Istanbul on Friday if Ukraine peace talks make progress today.
Speaking from Qatar, during his four-day visit to the Middle East, Trump says he hopes Russia and Ukraine can "do something" as the war "has to stop".
"We'd like to see [the war] end and I think we have a chance of doing it," Trump adds.
Image source, Getty ImagesUK Foreign Secretary David Lammy is in Antalya for the Nato talks, alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
He has criticised Vladimir Putin for sending a "low-level" delegation to Ukraine peace talks due to be held in Istanbul today.
"We come with one single message to stand by Ukraine and to ensure that we get a just and lasting, enduring peace," Lammy says.
"The readiness for that peace is demonstrated by President Zelensky being here in Turkey as well.
"Of course, we watched closely as we head to these talks, noting the Russian low-level individuals who are coming to represent the Russian side."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has just spoken in Antalya, where he is attending Nato talks.
Here's a snapshot of his comments:
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Reporting from Istanbul
The duration of Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul will depend on their progress, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tells state news agency Tass.
He also says Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting on preparations for the talks yesterday evening.
This was attended by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, National Guard commander Viktor Zolotov, chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, Federal Security Service head Alexander Bortnikov, as well as the delegation ahead of travel to Istanbul.
Image source, ReutersPutin chairing last night's meeting of the talks delegation
Vitaliy Shevchenko
Reporting from Istanbul
Image source, Getty ImagesUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had challenged Vladimir Putin to come to Turkey in person, but instead his Russian counterpart is sending a very junior delegation.
Key names include the Russian presidential adviser, Vladimir Medinsky, the deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Galuzin and the deputy defence minister Alexander Fomin - a level of representation which the Ukrainians will see as an insult.
It's extremely unlikely President Zelensky will meet them, but he may send a team of negotiators - especially given the mounting US pressure on Ukraine to talk to Russia.
Igor Kostyukov heads Russia’s Main Directorate of Intelligence - he plays a key role in the organisation of prisoner releases.
He was sanctioned by the US in 2016 for “significant malicious cyber-enabled activities” and then in 2018 for cyber-attacks and interference in the 2016 US elections that were won by Donald Trump.
In 2020, the European Union sanctioned him for stealing German Chancellor Angela Merkel's emails in a 2015 hacking attack on the German parliament.
Peace talks with Ukrainian, Russian, and US delegations will take place in Istanbul today - but they're not the only high-level diplomatic events taking place in Turkey.
Russia's presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, deputy foreign minister Mikhail Galuzin and deputy defence minister Alexander Fomin will attend the talks in Istanbul, north-west Turkey.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be in the Turkish capital Ankara - around 250 miles east of Istanbul - to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
And US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Antalya, in the south of the country, to meet Nato foreign ministers.
Nato chief Mark Rutte, Latvia's foreign minister, Estonia's foreign minister and Germany's foreign minister are in attendance.
