Lavrov skips crucial Istanbul talks on Ukraine war

          
• Sergey Lavrov's absence at Istanbul talks: The Russian newspaper "Kommersant" reported that the Russian Foreign Minister will not represent the country at the meeting concerning the war in Ukraine.
• Uncertain composition of the Russian delegation: It has not been revealed who will replace Lavrov in the talks. There has been speculation that Yuri Ushakov, an advisor to Vladimir Putin, could take his place.
• Zelensky's expectations: The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, expects Russia to agree to a complete and permanent ceasefire. He stated he will be waiting for Vladimir Putin in Turkey on Thursday.

The decision for Sergey Lavrov to be absent from the talks in Istanbul has surprised many observers. The absence of an official announcement regarding who will represent Russia raises questions about Moscow’s strategy in the context of negotiations concerning the war in Ukraine.

So far, it remains undisclosed who will replace Lavrov in the discussions. Earlier reports suggested that Yuri Ushakov, an advisor to Vladimir Putin on foreign policy, might be one of the participants. The absence of official information on this issue leaves many uncertainties about the composition of the Russian delegation.

The American delegation will include the special envoy of the U.S. President, Steve Witkoff, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In a conversation with journalists on Wednesday, President Donald Trump mentioned he does not rule out the possibility of also attending the meeting.

It's important to note that over three years after Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin proposed direct talks with Volodymyr Zelensky, scheduled to be held this week without any preconditions. Zelensky accepted this proposal but stressed that Ukraine would agree to peace talks only if the Kremlin accepts a 30-day ceasefire, a proposal made by the United States two months ago.