Direct Talks Between Russia and Ukraine Begin in Istanbul
May 16—Despite efforts to sabotage the talks by NATO’s Ukrainian dictator, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to end NATO's war on Russia in Ukraine commenced this morning in Istanbul—one week after being offered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy had been ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump to accept Putin’s offer for direct negotiations, without preconditions. The Ukrainian president had previously refused to engage unless Russia agreed to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire—something Putin dismissed as an attempt to resupply and reorganize Ukraine’s crumbling battlefield positions in NATO’s failed war. The conflict has already resulted in more than a million casualties on both sides.
U.S. Mediation Efforts and NATO Resistance
Sources familiar with the negotiations confirmed that Putin's initiative was coordinated with Trump, who has led efforts to end the war through diplomacy. His negotiating team, consisting of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has worked toward peace but has faced obstruction from Zelenskyy and his NATO sponsors.
Despite Trump’s direct orders for Ukraine to accept the talks, he never instructed Zelenskyy to personally attend. Seizing on this ambiguity, Zelenskyy—backed by France and Britain—tried to challenge Putin to a direct meeting, knowing such a discussion was premature. Contrary to NATO-backed media reports, Putin never planned to attend this round of negotiations.
Russian Delegation and Strategic Position
More importantly, as Trump understood, Putin would not attend unless Trump himself participated—and Trump had no intention of doing so at this stage. White House sources indicated that Trump might only join the talks if a breakthrough occurred.
When Moscow announced its delegation and Putin was absent, Zelenskyy reacted furiously, threatening to withdraw Ukraine from negotiations. He claimed Russia had disrespected him by sending low-level officials who were merely "decorative."
However, the delegation had been rigorously briefed in Moscow on May 14, including by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, intelligence officials, and military leaders like Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov. Military commanders from Lugansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson also provided situational reports. According to the Kremlin’s official statements, "The meeting participants conducted a detailed joint discussion of all reports. Based on these briefings, the President summed up the meeting results, set tasks, and charted the negotiating position of the Russian delegation in Istanbul."
Zelenskyy's Delays and Erdoğan’s Mediation
In Istanbul, Russian delegation leader Vladimir Medinsky yesterday confirmed their readiness to explore "possible compromises," with the goal of establishing long-term peace and eliminating the root causes of the conflict. "We consider these negotiations as a continuation of the peace process in Istanbul, which, unfortunately, was interrupted by the Ukrainian side three years ago," he stated outside the Russian consulate. "We have the necessary competencies and powers to conduct negotiations."
Medinsky had led the Russian delegation in 2022, negotiating a peace treaty that could have saved hundreds of thousands of lives. That agreement was initialed by both Putin and Zelenskyy but was withdrawn after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Kyiv and demanded Ukraine continue fighting.
Despite the Russian delegation’s early arrival in Istanbul, Zelenskyy hesitated, delaying the meeting to consult with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Following that discussion, he reluctantly agreed to send representatives, forcing the talks to be rescheduled for this morning.
Still, Zelenskyy continued his attacks on Russia, posting on X: "Today, Russia once again demonstrated that it does not intend to end the war, having sent a delegation of rather low-level representatives. Moreover, such a Russian approach is a sign of disrespect—toward the world and all partners. We expect a clear and strong response from partners."
Trump, however, dismissed Zelenskyy’s complaints, responding to a reporter’s question: "Putin's not going unless I go. And 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. I’m not disappointed in anything. Why would I be disappointed? We just took in $4 trillion and he says ‘are you disappointed about a delegation?’" Trump was referring to new business deals announced as part of his Middle East diplomatic tour.
Ceasefire Prospects and Military Back-Channels
Trump’s comments were widely interpreted as a rebuke of Zelenskyy. Meanwhile, sources close to the White House hinted that a breakthrough could emerge from the talks. "We are looking for an agreement to stop the killing," one insider stated. "A ceasefire of at least 30 days. It may require some concessions from the Ukrainians. It may be that we halt arms shipments for the ceasefire period. We shall see. But that’s why the two sides had to talk directly. If that happens, it is a big deal."
Reports indicate support for a peace deal exists within the militaries of both Ukraine and Russia, given the staggering casualty levels. Sources have indicated that these discussions have taken place, with fits and starts, for some time. Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh yesterday revealed that back-channel discussions on peace initiatives have reached the highest levels of command.