Putin, not Trump, seems to be calling shots on peacepublished at 09:31 British Summer Time

09:31 BST

Tom Bateman
US State Department correspondent, reporting from Antalya, Turkey

Image source, Reuters

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

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.

Talks expected to go ahead - but will it be today?published at 08:46 British Summer Time

08:46 BST

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.

Putin: Will he, won't he?published at 08:39 British Summer Time

08:39 BST

Steve Rosenberg
Russia editor, reporting from Istanbul

Image source, EPA

It’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, Reuters

US 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 Images

UK 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:

• Donald Trump is open to any mechanism that would lead to peace in Russia and Ukraine
• The US wants to be helpful and insists there is no military solution to the conflict, but there is a diplomatic one
• Washington wants to see progress in the next couple of days
• Nato has the opportunity to grow even stronger

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, Reuters

Vitaliy Shevchenko
Reporting from Istanbul

Image source, Getty Images

Ukrainian 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.

Image source, PPO/Reuters

Nato chief Mark Rutte says he is "cautiously optimistic" for a breakthrough in Ukraine-Russia peace talks.

Rutte adds: "It is now up to the Russians to make sure they take the next steps."

Yesterday, Nato's secretary general met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. Following their meeting, he said "there is a real window of opportunity for progress towards peace".

He also met Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha.

Putin likes to keep people guessingpublished at 06:55 British Summer Time

06:55 BST

Orla Guerin
Reporting from Istanbul

Image source, SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

President Vladimir Putin kept people guessing – as he likes to do - about whether or not he would attend the talks. But he seems set to stay away.

The Ukrainian leader, by contrast, had said he was ready to fly from Ankara to Istanbul - at a moment’s notice - if President Putin turned up but added that he would only talk to him.

“This is his war, “ Volodymyr Zelensky said. “So the negotiations should be with him”.

Direct Russia-Ukraine talks – at any level – would be the first since the months after Moscow’s full-scale invasion three years ago.

But, there’s no sign that either side is ready for major concessions.

For now, the only winner is the Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who faced mass protests here recently, after the jailing of his main rival.

He can now shift attention from domestic repression, to international diplomacy.

Matt Spivey
Live editor

Peace talks in the Ukraine-Russia war will take place in Istanbul, Turkey, today - but the Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin is not on the list of officials attending.

US President Donald Trump will also not be attending, according to media reports - despite hinting yesterday he would, if Putin showed up.

Zelensky will be in the Turkish capital Ankara on Thursday to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Ukrainian president said he would attend the talks with Russia in Istanbul, but only if Putin was there.

Putin and Zelensky have not met in person since December 2019.

On Sunday, after Putin proposed direct talks, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: "A potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!"

As we wait to see who attends the talks, we'll bring you the key developments and analysis from our teams in London, Turkey, and around the region.