Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t show up Thursday for proposed direct peace talks in Turkey with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Ukraine president was waiting for Putin in the capital Ankara after challenging him to face-to-face discussions on ending the war between their two countries.
With Putin absent, the Russian delegation was in Istanbul, and it wasn’t clear whether the sides would meet for their first talks since March 2022.
Zelenskyy said the Russian delegation appeared to be merely decorative. He said the next steps for talks would be decided after his upcoming meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Putin’s absence punctured hopes of a breakthrough in peace efforts given a push in recent months by the Trump administration and Western European leaders.
It also raised the prospect of intensified international sanctions on Russia that have been threatened by the U.S. and European leaders.
