Zelensky arrives in Turkey, decries Russia's 'sham' delegation ahead of potential peace talks
Editor's note: The article was expanded with Zelensky's comments.
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Turkey on May 15 ahead of potential ceasefire negotiations with Russia, even as Russian President Vladimir Putin is skipping the talks.
Zelensky's plane has landed at Ankara airport as the president first plans to hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey's capital.
Speaking to journalists at the airport, Zelensky said that the Ukrainian delegation is of the "highest level," including Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, representatives of the military and the Presidential Office, and heads of "all intelligence agencies."
A Russian delegation has also arrived to meet with Ukrainian representatives for peace talks in Istanbul — without Putin. The Kremlin has ruled out Putin's trip to Turkey, revealing that the negotiations will instead be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.
Ukraine's president will decide on his next steps regarding peace talks with Russia after meeting with Erdogan, a source close to the Presidential Office told the Kyiv Independent.
"We need to understand what the level of the Russian delegation is, what their mandate is, and whether they are capable of making decisions on their own," Zelensky said after arriving in Ankara.
"Because we all know who makes decisions in Russia," he added, saying Moscow appears to have sent a "sham" delegation.
U.S. President Donald Trump initially voiced optimism about the prospects of the meeting and suggested he might attend as well on May 16 if progress is made.
"I don't really believe that Putin himself is capable of meeting. It seems to me that he is afraid," Zelensky said in an interview with Spiegel published earlier this week.
Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on May 13 that Zelensky would not meet with lower-level Russian officials in Istanbul if Putin failed to appear, saying there would be no point in such negotiations.
According to the Washington Post, U.S. and European officials urged Zelensky not to abandon the Istanbul talks regardless of Putin's participation.
While not in the cards for the May 15 talks, a presidential-level meeting could signal a breakthrough in stalled diplomatic efforts to end Russia's full-scale invasion. Zelensky and Putin met only once during the 2019 Normandy Four meeting in France. Since then, there have been no direct in-person meetings between the two presidents.
Zelensky said that a potential talk with Putin would center around an unconditional ceasefire and an all-for-all prisoner exchange.
It is unclear whether Zelensky will still join the Istanbul talks without Putin's participation.
Kyiv and its allies have proposed an unconditional 30-day ceasefire beginning on May 12 as a first step toward peace — a proposal that Russia has so far ignored.
While no additional meetings have been officially announced, representatives from Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia are also arriving in Turkey.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Turkey on May 14 and met with Sybiha in Antalya. Sybiha also met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan.
Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Istanbul with Rubio on May 16 to participate in discussions on Ukraine.
The Kremlin revealed its list of delegates late on May 14. In addition to Medinsky, Russia is sending Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Military Intelligence Director Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will not attend, nor will Putin's foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov.
There were no reports of any other scheduled meetings between Ukrainian, U.S., and Russian officials.
Read also: Despite the hype, EU's latest Russia sanctions 'not as strong as they should be'
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