With peace talks between Russia and Ukraine slated for Thursday, May 15th, in Istanbul, all eyes are on one big question—will Vladimir Putin actually show up?
Despite being the one who floated the idea over the weekend, the Russian president has gone mum about whether he’ll attend in person. The Kremlin’s stayed tight-lipped, merely confirming that a Russian team will be there—just not saying who’ll lead it.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy isn’t wasting time. On Tuesday, he called on U.S. President Donald Trump to help lock in the meeting with Putin. Zelenskyy didn’t mince words—if Putin bails, the West should slap Moscow with crushing new sanctions.
Meanwhile, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva jumped into the fray. On his way home from a summit in China, Lula plans to swing through Moscow and personally nudge Putin toward the negotiating table.
If all goes as planned, Thursday’s talks in Istanbul will mark the first face-to-face dialogue between Moscow and Kyiv since 2022—a potential turning point in a grinding conflict.
Trump, ever the dealmaker, voiced cautious optimism, saying the talks “could lead to some pretty good results.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also expected to be on hand, adding more weight to the high-stakes summit.
But until Putin breaks his silence, the world can only guess whether this long-awaited sit-down will actually take place—or remain just another diplomatic near miss.
