Level of Russian delegation 'not indicative' of breakthrough in Istanbul peace talks, Rubio says
U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio said on May 15 peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey are unlikely to yield meaningful progress, calling the low-level Russian delegation "not indicative of one that's going to lead to a major breakthrough."
"I hope I'm wrong. I hope I'm 100% wrong. I hope tomorrow the news says they've agreed to a ceasefire, they've agreed to enter serious negotiations," Rubio told reporters during a briefing in Ankara. "But I'm just giving you my assessment."
After Moscow proposed to hold peace talks in Turkey this week, Zelensky agreed and invited Putin for a face-to-face meeting. The Russian leader declined to attend and appointed his aide, Vladimir Medinsky, to lead the talks.
Ukraine, in turn, decided to send its delegation on May 15, led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Rubio said that meaningful progress would likely only come through a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The same idea was echoed by Trump earlier in the day.
"The next thing that has to happen for there to be a breakthrough is going to involve President Trump's direct involvement," Rubio said. "And I believe the president shares my assessment."
Rubio also said he would meet with Ukraine's senior delegation and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, while other lower-level members of the U.S. team will attend the talks involving Russian representatives.
He added that Trump is "impatient to end this war," saying, 'Our goal here is to achieve peace — whether that begins with a 30-day ceasefire, a one-day ceasefire, or a final deal that's all negotiated in a single day. To us, the process is less important than the outcome.'
The talks, which could become the first direct diplomatic encounter between Zelensky and Putin since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022, stalled after the Russian leader appointed a delegation of lower-level officials to attend instead. and met only once during the 2019 Normandy Four meeting in France. Since then, there have been no direct in-person meetings between the two.
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.
Read also: 'Bark from Moscow' — Kyiv hits back as Russian Foreign Ministry insults Zelensky
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