Putin skips Zelenskiy peace meeting
Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned a challenge to meet face-to-face with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Turkey, instead sending a second-tier delegation to take part in talks in Istanbul.
Zelenskiy, in Ankara, called the delegation "decorative" and a sign Putin was not serious about ending the war.
"I think that the United States of America and Turkey feel Russian disrespect. That is my opinion. There is no time for a meeting, no agenda, no delegation of high level. It is personal disrespect. I am not talking about Russians disrespecting us which is obvious anyway. But it is mutual between us. But they are now here so it is disrespect towards Erdogan, disrespect towards Trump."
Zelenskiy said he would not go to Istanbul, but would send a team, headed by his defense minister, with a mandate to discuss a ceasefire.
Russia said its team was in Istanbul and ready for serious work, and accused Ukraine of ''trying to put on a show."
Talks were further undermined by U.S. President Donald Trump, who told reporters there would be no movement on peace talks in the absence of a meeting between himself and Putin.
''I don't believe anything's going to happen, whether you like it or not, until he and I get together. But we're going to have to get it solved, because too many people are dying."
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it was too early to say if Putin would attend talks in the future.
The warring sides have been wrestling for months over the logistics of ceasefires and peace talks. The last direct talks were held in March 2022.
Hundreds of thousands have been killed and wounded on both sides in the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two.
Washington has threatened repeatedly to abandon its mediation efforts unless there is clear progress.
