World left guessing over Putin Turkey trip

Russia has refused to say whether its president, Vladimir Putin, will attend peace talks with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul today, leaving an outside chance for a landmark presidential summit that could also lure the US president, Donald Trump, who is in the region.

- Pjotr Sauer Andrew Roth

Direct talks between Zelenskyy and Putin - the first since Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 - would mark a major step up in diplomatic efforts to end or pause the war. Pressure has built on Putin to attend the talks since Zelenskyy and then Trump called on him to travel to Istanbul to discuss a potential peace deal.

But Kremlin officials for a third straight day have not confirmed the members of the Russian delegation and Putin may send a lower-ranking team with less potential to sign off on major steps toward peace.

"Ukraine is ready for any format of negotiations, and we are not afraid of meetings," Zelenskyy said during a daily address yesterday evening. "I am waiting to see who will arrive from Russia. Then I will decide what steps Ukraine should take."

Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told journalists in Moscow that he would announce the composition of the Russian delegation "once we receive the relevant instructions from the president".

"So far, no such instructions have been given," he added.

Zelenskyy challenged Putin to a personal meeting in Turkey after the Russian leader used an unexpected late-night Kremlin address to call for direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations in Istanbul.

Much is still unclear about today's talks, which are taking on growing importance amid escalating rhetoric and strategic posturing by both Russia and Ukraine.