Istanbul talks between Zelenskyy and Putin: chances for peace or imitation of the process
13 May 2025 11:25
ANALYSIS
US President Donald Trump said he is considering visiting Istanbul on May 15, where talks are scheduled between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. In his opinion, this meeting could yield positive results.
Trump said this during a press conference with American journalists.
He expressed hope that Putin would arrive in Istanbul for talks between the Ukrainian and Russian sides. Speaking to journalists at the White House, Trump said he expected a constructive outcome from the talks.
“I believe that something positive can be achieved between Russia and Ukraine during the meeting on Thursday in Turkey. I think both leaders – Zelensky and Putin – will be present. I am thinking about going there myself,”
– he said.
At the same time, Trump noted that he is not yet sure of his plans for Thursday, as he has many scheduled meetings. However, he said, “anything is possible.”
Trump emphasized that the United States is doing everything possible to find out if there is a real chance to stop the bloody confrontation between Ukraine and Russia.
Read more about whether Trump can really visit Turkey, how such statements affect Putin and how Zelenskyy beat the Kremlin dictator in the article of Komersant ukrainskyi
A tactical game, not real negotiations
Political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko in an exclusive commentary for
According to Fesenko, the participation of the Russian president in the May 15 talks is unlikely, in particular due to complex protocol procedures and the Kremlin’s paranoid attitude to security issues.
“While this is a big question mark, it’s more likely that Putin will not be there. If Trump is there, and if he persistently asks Putin, then maybe he will come,”
– said the political scientist.
He added that preparations for such visits in Russia always take a lot of time, because before the arrival of a high-ranking official, security services usually arrive first to check the meeting place and organize control.
“Putin is paranoid – such decisions are not made in two days,”
– he explained.
Fesenko is convinced that the current statements about the talks are more an element of a tactical game than a real readiness for dialogue.
“I absolutely disagree that Putin wants negotiations… This is a tactical game around them. The goal is to drive the opponent into a negotiating trap, to show that he does not want peace,”
– the expert says.
According to him, both Putin and Zelensky are playing their own game – each is trying to portray the other as a party that avoids peace.
Читайте нас у Telegram: головні новини коротко
What and how to negotiate remains unresolved
The political scientist believes that the main problem is not the idea of negotiations, but the lack of a clear plan, agenda, and mechanisms for organizing them.
“Who will determine the agenda? We need to agree on it in advance. If they just sit down in Istanbul, nothing will happen,”
– Fesenko said.
The expert also noted that the Ukrainian side has its own clear requirements, including a ceasefire as a precondition for any negotiations.
Another uncertainty, according to Fesenko, is the composition of the delegations. If Russia is represented, for example, by Vladimir Medinsky, this will indicate a frivolous approach. At the same time, the participation of high-ranking officials such as Yuriy Ushakov may indicate a different level of readiness.
“This is evidence that there is no real readiness for negotiations,”
– emphasizes the expert.
Ukrainian initiative: a challenge to Putin and a bet on failure
Fesenko warns that without a strong and authoritative mediator, the negotiations may reach a dead end. According to the political scientist, Volodymyr Zelenskyy deliberately summoned Putin to the talks in Istanbul, realizing that he was unlikely to agree.
“After three years of bloody war, there is a huge distrust. If there is no moderator, the talks will fail. Zelenskyy was betting on Putin not coming for various reasons. And then Trump will have to decide what to do next,”
– the political scientist is convinced.
Fesenko suggests that if Putin refuses to participate in the talks, the United States will have to increase pressure on Russia.
“Then we need to impose more serious sanctions or put Putin in front of an ultimatum: either a ceasefire or the end of the negotiations,”
– the expert emphasizes.
In sum, Fesenko believes that there is currently a tactical struggle around the topic of the negotiations, but the negotiations themselves have not even begun. Their real content, format, and participants remain uncertain.
Zelenskyy and Putin’s meeting in Istanbul
Earlier, the initiative to hold talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15 was put forward by Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was he who proposed holding the meeting on Thursday.
Afterward, U.S. President Donald Trump said he insisted that Ukraine agree to take part in talks with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy almost immediately confirmed his readiness to arrive in Istanbul on May 15 for a personal meeting with Putin.
The Kremlin, however, has not yet given a clear answer as to whether Putin will participate in the proposed dialogue.
Читайте нас у Telegram: головні новини коротко
