Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Turkey on Thursday for planned peace discussions, but notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin was absent.
Upon his arrival in Ankara, Zelensky criticized the Russian delegation, likening it to “Siam.”
“I don’t officially know the status of the Russian representatives yet, but it appears to be staged,” Zelensky remarked. “We’re considering our actions and the next steps, alongside [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan.”
“We have a sense of the Russian delegation’s level, their mission—or at least they seem to have their own agenda,” he continued. “It’s clear who holds the decision-making power in Russia.”
Earlier, Putin had indicated that Moscow planned to engage in direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul regarding the ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe, which has spanned three years. Zelensky promptly expressed his willingness to travel to Türkiye for direct talks with Russian officials.
However, the Kremlin announced late Wednesday that a lower-level delegation consisting of aides and deputy ministers would be sent, confirming Putin’s absence.
President Trump, who has advocated for ending the three-year war, said during a media briefing that he wasn’t shocked by Putin’s nonappearance, referencing this decision.
“I actually mentioned, ‘If I’m not going, why would he go?'” Trump noted. “I was set to attend, but since I wasn’t, I figured, ‘He won’t attend either.'”
Trump left open the possibility of traveling to Turkey on Friday but acknowledged his busy agenda during his current Middle East trip.
“If circumstances allow, I’ll go on Friday,” he stated.
The Biden administration is actively seeking to resolve Europe’s largest land conflict since World War II, urging both nations to agree to a 30-day ceasefire. Ukraine has expressed its support, but, so far, Russia has not come on board.
