Ruth Michaelson is in Istanbul for the Guardian As Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives in Ankara, there is speculation in Istanbul about where the Russian delegation might be, and when they are expected to show up at the Dolmabahçe palace for talks. Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has said the talks have been moved to the afternoon at the request of the Turkish authorities. A statement from Zelensky’s office said his meeting with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will “define Ukraine’s next diplomatic steps to bring a full and unconditional ceasefire, achieve a durable peace, and ensure security.” The Ukrainian president “is accompanied by a high-level Ukrainian delegation capable of preparing the necessary decisions,” they added. “We note that Russia has also sent a delegation to Turkey – unfortunately, of rather low rank and with an unclear mandate. Further updates on Ukraine’s steps will follow.” Zakharova previously said that the delegation dispatched from Moscow is “ready for serious work,” despite the message that comes from sending a group composed of several deputy ministers and a presidential aide to Vladimir Putin rather than the leader himself. Ruth Michaelson is at the Dolmabahçe palace in Istanbul for the Guardian. Here is some background on the building. The Dolmabahçe palace is a grand sweeping waterfront palace on shores the European side of the Bosphorus, ringed by a series of outer buildings including one where the peace talks are expected to take place today. The Turkish authorities frequently use the outer buildings of Dolmabahçe for government business, including previous rounds of Ukrainian-Russian talks or press conferences with cabinet officials, held in a wooden-vaulted stone meeting room with opulent modern murals. The palace has a history as a site of government business, inhabited by six Ottoman sultans and the last caliph Abdülmecid II after construction was completed in 1856. After Turkey became a republic, its founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk stayed periodically at Dolmabahçe, including residing at the palace during a period of illness until his death in 1938. The almost 15,000-square-metre palace is the largest in Turkey, with 285 rooms and 44 halls including a grand ceremonial hall intended for the Ottoman sultans to receive other heads of state, 68 toilets and 6 Turkish baths. The cost of construction of the Dolmabahçe palace was also linked to the debts that later led to the Ottoman empire being branded “the sick man of Europe,” billed at 35 tonnes of gold worth, almost $2bn today. No time has been set for talks between officials from Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, where there is currently a technical-level Russian delegation and some US officials, a Turkish foreign ministry source has told Reuters “No time has been set for a meeting yet. In this respect, there is no question of a postponement,” the source said. Pjotr Sauer is in Ankara for the Guardian In his first comments after landing in Ankara, Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the Russian delegation that had arrived in Istanbul as largely a “theatre prop.” “We’re in contact with the American side, I believe they’ll also be present in Turkey at a high level,” he said. “As for the Russians, we’ll see. Nothing has been confirmed officially, but from what we’ve observed, it looks more like a theatre prop than a serious one.” “What we do know for certain,” he added, “is who actually makes decisions on the Russian side. And we will act accordingly.” The Kremlin has said its delegation will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, a hardline aide to Vladimir Putin who headed the only previous round of direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul in 2022. Notably, Russia is not sending its two top diplomats – Yuri Ushakov and Sergei Lavrov – both of whom have taken part in earlier high-level negotiations with US officials in Saudi Arabia. Moscow’s decision to once again appoint Medinsky suggests the Kremlin is attempting to revive talks based on the same framework as in 2022 – a round widely seen as fruitless due to Russia’s maximalist demands, including restrictions on Ukraine’s military and sovereignty. “This is all just a performance – a simulation of peace talks,” Boris Bondarev, a former Russian diplomat who resigned over the war told the Guarsian. Bondarev said Putin proposed the talks in Turkey with the aim of convincing Trump that he was committed to peace, while continuing the fighting on the ground. As we await a decision over whether there will be any direct talks taking place in Istanbul later today, Russia’s military has announced that it has seized two further settlements in eastern Ukraine. Reuters reports that Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s plane has landed at Esenboğa airport in Ankara, and is expected to speak with president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan within the hour. Pjotr Sauer is a foreign correspondent for the Guardian I’m at Ankara airport, where a small group of reporters has gathered to await the arrival of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s jet. The Ukrainian president is expected to meet with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the capital later today, after traveling from Poland with a top-level delegation. Meanwhile in Istanbul, a Russian delegation led by ultra-conservative Putin aide Vladimir Medinsky landed early on Thursday. But the day’s events have been marred by confusion and uncertainty, with no clear indication of when – or even if – the first round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine will take place. For now, Ukraine’s delegation – which includes defence minister Rustem Umerov and presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak - is expected to remain in Ankara. According to one source familiar with the plans, Zelenskyy may dispatch his top aides to Istanbul only after concluding his meeting with Erdoğan – suggesting that any negotiations with the Russian side would likely begin later in the afternoon, if they happen at all. Zelenskyy himself has indicated he will not travel to Istanbul unless Vladimir Putin also agrees to attend. Reuters has a quick snap that according to the Russian foreign ministry, talks will begin this afternoon in Istanbul. It is just approaching noon there now. Ruth Michaelson is in Istanbul for the Guardian Outside the Dolmabahçe palace in Istanbul, there is a large crowd of expectant media and no sign of any negotiating teams so far. Cameras from Turkish, Russian, and Polish news channels have their lenses trained on the grand wooden door and Turkish presidential seal that mark the entrance to the palace courtyard, which runs alongside the grand Ottoman-era building where talks are expected to be held sometime today. The Dolmabahçe palace has been the site of previous negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv that secured a deal to allow the export of Ukrainian grain in 2022. Failed peace talks also took place between the Russian and Ukrainian sides in the southern Turkish city of Antalya and in Istanbul that year. But with Russian leader Vladimir Putin no longer expected in Turkey for this round of negotiations about a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, it’s unclear what the potential outcome of today’s talks might be, or even what talks in Istanbul could look like. Putin on Sunday proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine, prompting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to state he would be waiting for Putin here in Istanbul, eager to show Washington he is serious about peace. Instead, Zelenskyy will meet with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, amid reports he will make a decision about sending a delegation to Istanbul following the meeting. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow last night that Putin held a meeting to prepare their delegation for the talks, along with foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, defence minister Andrey Belousov, chief of general staff Valery Gerasimov, security council secretary Sergei Shoigu and head of the Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov. However it is several of their deputies who have reportedly arrived here in Istanbul and are expected to show up at the Dolmabahçe palace today. A list of delegates posted on the Kremlin website said the Russian delegation will be spearheaded by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, alongside deputy foreign minister Mikhail Galuzin, deputy defence minister Alexander Fomin and intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov. Tass, citing Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, is reporting that Russia’s talks delegation has arrived in Istanbul. UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, who is in Turkey for informal talks with Nato foreign ministers, has spoken about the proposed direct talks between Ukraine and Russia, which may take place in Istanbul today. PA Media quotes Lammy saying: We come with one single message to stand by Ukraine and to ensure that we get a just and lasting, enduring peace. And the readiness for that peace is demonstrated by president Zelenskyy being here in Turkey as well. And of course, we watched closely as we head to these talks, noting the Russian low-level individuals who are coming to represent the Russian side. US president Donald Trump has said today that he would go to Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey on Friday “if it is appropriate”, Reuters reports. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to meet Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday and after that will make a decision on talks with Russia in Istanbul, a Ukrainian official has told Reuters. The Ukrainian president had previously proposed a face-to-face meeting in Turkey between himself and his Russian counterpart. Russia has instead sent a low-level delegation for talks in Istanbul, after a meeting yesterday in Moscow with Vladimir Putin and senior defence and security officials. Vladimir Medinsky, a hardline Putin aide who led the only previous round of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, will lead the Russian delegation. Earlier Suspilne, Ukraine's state broadcaster, reported that a source in the Ukrainian delegation, whose makeup is still unclear, was aiming to discuss a 30-day ceasefire. Suspilne, Ukraine's state broadcaster, reports that a source at the proposed peace talks in Istanbul said the Ukrainian delegation is ready to discuss the issue of a 30-day ceasefire. It reported that the makeup of the Ukrainian delegation remains unknown. US secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Thursday that president Donald Trump is open to any mechanism that would result in a just peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, Reuters reports. Rubio, speaking ahead of an informal meeting of foreign ministers in Turkey, said the US wants to see progress made in the next couple of days, adding there was no military solution to the conflict. Estonia’s foreign minister has said that a Russian fighter jet violated Nato territory for a duration of one minute, Reuters reports. He described the situation as very serious. He said the jet was sent as Estonia was attempting to detain a Russian shadow fleet tanker. In an earlier version of this block, it was incorrectly stated that the information had been provided by Estonia’s prime minister. Reuters reports a Ukrainian official has said there has been no agreement on when talks are timed to start today. Andriy Kovalenko dismissed reports in Russian media that the scheduled start was planned at 10am (7am GMT) Russian media is reporting that president Vladimir Putin held a meeting yesterday to prepare for the talks in Turkey, and the Kremlin has issued a short video clip of the event. In attendance, according to the RIA news agency, were: foreign minister Sergey Lavrov defence minister Andrey Belousov director of the national guard Viktor Zolotov secretary of the security council Sergei Shoigu chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov FSB director Alexander Bortnikov RIA reported that commanders of troop groups directly involved in the conflict also participated. Estonian foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said on Thursday that Russian president Vladimir Putin sending a low-level delegation to Turkey for talks regarding the war in Ukraine was “like a slap in the face.” Suspilne, Ukraine's state broadcaster, citing the air force, reported that Ukraine’s air defences shot down 62 of 110 drones fired at Ukraine overnight by Russia. 29 were lost in the air. It reported that “Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Kyiv, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions were affected by the attack.” Ukraine and Russia are set to hold their first direct talks since the start of Russia’s 2022 invasion. Putin proposed the talks in a Kremlin address hours after Kyiv and European countries urged Moscow to agree to a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting Monday. After Putin’s address, Zelensky said he would be willing to meet Putin in Turkey. But the Kremlin late on Wednesday said Putin would not be attending and that instead its delegation would be led by hawkish former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky, who took part in failed 2022 talks. The Kremlin had for several days declined to say who would go to Istanbul. Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has been critical of western support for Ukraine, urged Putin to attend the negotiations. US President Donald Trump had said he “believes both leaders will be there” and floated the idea that he might join the talks too. Why Turkey? Nato member Turkey has sought to maintain good relations with both of its Black Sea neighbours since the Russian invasion began and has twice hosted talks on the war. Representatives for Moscow and Kyiv discussed an outline to end the war in Istanbul in March 2022. But those talks broke down following Russia’s retreat from the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, where hundreds of civilians were found dead following a month-long occupation by Russian forces. Contact between the warring sides has been limited since and mainly dedicated to humanitarian issues such as prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of soldiers’ remains. Where do the two parties stand? Russia insists the talks address what it calls the “root causes” of the conflict, including the “denazification” and demilitarisation of Ukraine, two vague terms Moscow has used to justify the invasion. It has also repeated that Ukraine must cede its territory occupied by Russian troops. Kyiv said it won’t recognise its territories as Russian – though Zelenskyy has acknowledged that Ukraine might only get them back through diplomatic means. The two warring parties are struggling to agree even on a ceasefire. Ukraine agreed last month to the US proposal of an unconditional ceasefire, which Zelenskyy said was a prerequisite for negotiations. But Putin, whose troops have the momentum in parts of the frontline, rejected the proposal. What’s next? Zelenskyy said in Kyiv that the west should impose massive sanctions if Putin skips the meeting. He also said he would decide on Kyiv’s next “steps” depending on who Russia sends. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have warned of new sweeping sanctions against Russia if no substantial progress is reached in Turkey this week. The EU on Wednesday approved a fresh package of sanctions on Russia, which is already subject to over 20,000 restrictive measures, clamping down on its “shadow” oil fleet. In March, Trump threatened to impose tariffs on the vital Russian oil industry as the country’s economy is strained by high military expenditures for the war. US Senator Lindsay Graham had advocated a 500% tariff on imports from countries that continue buying Russian oil, gas and uranium. Hello and welcome to our continuing coverage of the war in Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia are set to go into their first direct talks in more than three years in Istanbul, but President Vladimir Putin is not included on the list of attendees. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had challenged Putin to meet him in person in Istanbul, but the Kremlin has said he will not be taking him up on the offer. Putin had proposed holding the talks in Istanbul as a counter-offer after Ukraine and European nations last week called for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. Zelenskyy agreed, but said this week that if Putin did not attend himself, it would signal he was not genuinely interested in peace. Meanwhile Nato ministers including UK foreign secretary David Lammy will meet in Turkey on Thursday. Britain and its military allies will be working to “step up” their collective security at the gathering in Antalya, Lammy said. Today, President Zelenskyy is in Turkey in a further demonstration of his commitment to peace, ready to enter talks direct with Russia and continuing to push for a full ceasefire as a first crucial step. Here’s a summary of the day’s other main events: Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is due in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on Thursday where he will meet with the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Putin announced on Wednesday that he would send Vladimir Medinsky, a presidential adviser, to lead the Russian delegation. Also included in the delegation are Alexander Fomin, a deputy defence minister; Igor Kostyukov, an intelligence director; and Mikhail Galuzin, a deputy foreign minister. Significantly, Putin’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, and the Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, both top negotiators for the Kremlin, were not named in the Russian delegation. The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, is expected in Istanbul on Friday to take part in what are the first direct peace talks since failed efforts in the first weeks of the Russian full-scale invasion. Rubio met with Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andriy Sybiga, on Wednesday in Antalya. Germany’s new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said on Wednesday that there must not be any settlement in Ukraine in the form of a “dictated peace” from Moscow. Addressing parliament, Merz warned of “militarily created facts against Ukraine’s will”, telling lawmakers it was “of paramount importance that the political west does not allow itself to be divided”. A Russian missile attack on Wednesday killed three people at an industrial site near the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, said the regional governor, Oleh Hryhorov. Sumy sits opposite Russia’s Kursk region – a Russian missile attack on the city of Sumy on Palm Sunday killed 35 people.
Author: Martin Belam (now) and Helen Livingstone (earlier)