Aiming to end the war, Russia and Ukraine are expected to hold direct talks in Turkiye today for the first time in past 3 years. The talks are scheduled to be held behind closed doors in Dolmabahce Palace in the Turkish city of Istanbul.
The Dolmabahce Palaceis situated on the Bosphorus Strait, which was the main administrative complex of the Ottoman Empire between the mid-19th century and 1922.
The Russian side will be headed by an aide to Putin and ex-culture minister, Vladimir Medinsky. He was involved in short-lived 2022 negotiations too. President Vladimir Putin will not attend the meeting.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had pressed President Vladimir Putin to attend in person. But now, it is unclear if Zelenskyy will personally participate in the talks or whether he will leave it to his team to join the negotiations.
United States President Donald Trump, who had earlier indicated that he might join the negotiations, will also not attend the Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations at Istanbul.
Instead of Trump, Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, are reportedly participating in the Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations at Istanbul.
European countries – France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland gave Putin an ultimatum to accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face renewed sanctions.
It is difficult to predict what might specifically be discussed in the Turkiye talks.
In February 2022, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia-Ukraine war entered 1176th day.
On this day, key events are
- Russia’s defence ministry said that its army captured two villages – Torskoye and Novooleksandrivka – in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
- A Russian missile strike targeted Ukraine’s northeastern city of Sumy, killing at least 3 people.
- About 35 areas, including the city of Kherson, were under Russian drone terror and artillery shelling that injured at least 9 people.
- Russia’s defence ministry said that its air defence system has downed 2 Ukrainian drones overnight over the Rostov and Belgorod regions.