US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will not be the first direct peace talks between Moscow and Kiev in three years on Thursday.
Putin on Sunday The proposed direct negotiations With Ukraine in Türkiye, “without any preconditions,” although it stopped saying that he would attend.
Late Wednesday, the Kremlin said that the delegation will include presidential advisor Vladimir Midinski and Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fateno.
Then a US official said that Trump would not attend – days after he said he was thinking about the trip.
The absence of Russian and American presidents reduces expectations to achieve a major breakthrough in the war that Russia began In February 2022.
Ukrainian President Folodimir Zelinski Putin has challenged the talks “if he was not afraid”, in a clear competition to show Trump, who wants more peace.
Ukrainian official said on Wednesday that Zelinski was on his way to Türkiye. Earlier, Zelinski said It will participate In negotiations only if Putin is there.
Trump wants the two sides to participate in the 30 -day ceasefire to stop the largest land war in Europe since World War II, and the Russian legislator said on Wednesday that discussions can also be held on the disbursement of a huge war.
Zelenskyy supports the immediate shooting for 30 days, but Putin said he first wanted to start talks that this ceasefire can be discussed.
The threat of more penalties
“He is always thinking about” secondary sanctions against Moscow if he believes that it prevents this process.
US officials have talked about possible financial sanctions and secondary sanctions on Russian oil buyers. Western European leaders also threatened Russia with more sanctions if there was no progress in stopping the fighting in Ukraine.
A Ukrainian diplomatic source told Reuters on Wednesday that the Ukraine leadership will decide its next steps for peace talks in Türkiye as soon as there was clarity on Putin’s participation.
Morning metro7:12Could a face -to -face meeting take place between Zelinski and Putin?
Ukraine president says he is ready to meet with the Russian Vladimir Putin to hold ceasefire talks this week – provided that he will stop fighting today. I speak to global affairs analyst Michael Porsyuko, about the latest in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
United States MP Jim Hems CNN said He did not see any reason because Trump – or Zelinski – in Türkiye if Putin did not go.
“I think everyone realizes that Putin does not care about the real peace negotiations,” said Hems, a democratic classification of the US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee.
“The real question” now is how Trump should control the American position on Russia.
Before returning to the Oval Office, Trump was, On multiple occasionsHe claimed that he could end the war In 24 hours. More than three months after his new presidency, the war continues.
The war, which recently crossed the three -year mark, has witnessed the use of trenches and tanks, as well as the intensive use of drones by both sides.
The United Nations says At least 12,700 civilians They were killed and wounded and wounded more than 30,000, as Russia fired widely invaded to its neighbor.

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