Zelensky heads to Turkey for critical Russia talks

A Ukrainian official confirmed that Zelensky will first head to Ankara, where he is scheduled to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Then, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations will meet in Istanbul.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Kremlin announced that Russia's leader, Vladimir Putin, would not be in Istanbul. Putin's adviser, Vladimir Medinsky, will head the Russian delegation.

According to the Kremlin's statement, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin, and Admiral Igor Kostiukov, head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, will also visit Turkey.

U.S. President Donald Trump is also not heading to Turkey. On Tuesday, the White House announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg will attend the Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul.

On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope for Trump's arrival in Turkey. "I am waiting to see who will come from Russia, and then I will decide which steps Ukraine should take. So far, the signals from them in the media are unconvincing. But we also hear that President Trump is considering attending the meeting in Türkiye. That could become the strongest argument. This week really may change a lot — but only may… Everything is being decided right now," Zelensky said in an evening recording.

Zelensky had previously declared that he could only meet with Putin in Istanbul. In addition to the Ukrainian president, the head of the president's office Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, presidential adviser Ihor Zhovkva, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov are expected to be in Turkey.