US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend today's first direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv. Instead, the Kremlin will send a delegation of experienced technocrats to the negotiations.
Putin took the initiative on Sunday, proposing to hold direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday "without any preconditions." The Kremlin released the delegation's composition late Wednesday, including presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin. However, Putin's name was missing from the list.
After the Kremlin's announcement, a US official said that Trump, on a three-nation tour of the Middle East, would not attend the talks. Trump had previously said that he was considering attending.
Although Putin has never confirmed his participation, the absence of both him and Trump has dampened expectations of any progress toward resolving the war in Ukraine that began in February 2022. Reuters writes.
