Russian Delegation Awaits Ukrainian Representatives in Constantinople

On Friday (16/05/2025), peace talks between Ukraine and Russia will take place following the failure of today’s meeting and the long-awaited encounter between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin in Constantinople, which never happened. Ultimately, the peace negotiations were downgraded to a meeting involving lower-ranking officials. However, this does not rule out the possibility of a positive outcome from the discussions that began with high expectations, even involving former U.S. President Donald Trump. The head of the Russian delegation participating in the Constantinople negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine announced late Thursday evening that they expect Ukrainian representatives to arrive at 10 AM local time for the start of talks. ‘We are ready to work,’ stated Kremlin advisor Dmitry Medinsky in a video posted on Telegram. Medinsky added that earlier, the Russian delegation had ‘productive’ discussions with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Trilateral meetings are scheduled for Friday (16/05/2025) in Constantinople as part of the peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. According to a source close to Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, another series of meetings is planned with a different format. On the agenda are trilateral negotiations involving the U.S., Ukraine, and Turkey, as well as Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey. It remains uncertain whether these will become quadrilateral talks including the U.S., Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey. Leading the Russian delegation is an advisor to the Russian president, Vladimir Medinsky, a former Minister of Culture. Also participating are deputy ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will not attend the discussions, nor will his Russian counterpart. In his place, he sent Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and a deputy foreign minister. Both delegations also include military, intelligence, and security service representatives. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected in Constantinople but appears less optimistic about the talks’ success. It is unclear if Turkish officials will participate as mediators. Maria Zakharova criticized Zelenskyy, calling him a ‘clown’ for delaying the negotiation process between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Constantinople.