Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will not join any peace talks with Russia unless Russian President Vladimir Putin is present. He made it clear that he will not talk with any other Russian official. If Putin does not attend, Ukraine will not take part in the meeting.
The planned meeting is set to happen in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkey is trying to act as a middleman to bring both sides together. But now, things are looking more difficult after Zelensky’s strong words.
This comes as Ukraine’s Vampire drones continue to hit Russian forces during night-time attacks. Ukraine is using these drone strikes to push back the Russian army.
Zelensky said there is only one topic that matters: a ceasefire. Any talks that do not include a ceasefire, he said, would be a waste of time. He believes that nothing can move forward unless there is peace first.
Russia has said it is ready to send a team to the Istanbul meeting. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Russian officials are prepared for face-to-face talks. But the Kremlin has not said if Putin will attend.
That is a key issue for Ukraine. Zelensky stated, “Everything in Russia depends on Putin. That is why I want to speak with him directly.” He added that he will not speak with lower-level officials who have no real power.
The United States is watching the situation closely. President Donald Trump said he believes there could be a “positive outcome” from the meeting. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to represent the United States in the talks.
But U.S. support might not last. On April 30, Secretary Rubio warned that if there is no real progress in talks, the U.S. may pull out from its role as a peace broker. This means the talks could lose key support if both sides do not agree soon.
France has also stepped in. President Emmanuel Macron has warned Russia that more economic penalties could come if it does not agree to a ceasefire. He said that the services sector could face new sanctions if the war continues.
A U.S.-based group, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), said Russian officials may already be preparing to cancel the meeting. They believe Russia is nervous about sending Putin and may try to back out.
Two diplomats, who do not want to be named, said that Russia is worried about how things will go if Putin does not attend. There is concern that sending other officials would be seen as weak or unimportant by Ukraine and its allies.
Zelensky’s message is strong. He wants a face-to-face meeting with Putin. Without it, he says, there is no point in sitting down. He wants to speak directly with the one person who holds the power in Russia.
If neither leader agrees to meet, the entire peace process could fall apart. In that case, the U.S. may also decide to stop helping with talks. That would leave the war without any clear path to peace.
For now, everything depends on whether Putin agrees to attend the Istanbul meeting. Until then, the future of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia remains uncertain.
