KEY POINT SUMMARY – Putin Skips Peace Talks
• Putin skips peace talks in Istanbul, sending deputies instead
• Zelensky refuses to attend unless Putin shows up
• Trump cancels potential visit, sends Rubio instead
• European leaders push for 30-day ceasefire, Moscow says no
• Kremlin blames Kyiv, insists Istanbul deals are still valid
• War on the front line intensifies with Russian gains
• U.S. warns sanctions will follow Putin’s no-show

Putin Sends Deputies, Not Peace

Putin skips peace talks in Istanbul, stunning world leaders and killing momentum for a new ceasefire in the bloody Ukraine conflict. Despite proposing the summit himself, the Russian president pulled out last minute and sent only deputies.

Instead of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov or Putin himself, the Kremlin dispatched Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin. Both are considered bureaucrats, not power brokers.

The message was loud and clear: Russia isn’t ready to negotiate. Not seriously.

Zelensky Won’t Show Without Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had one condition. If Putin didn’t attend in person, he wouldn’t either.

“If Putin does not arrive and plays games,” Zelenskyy warned Tuesday, “it is the final point that he does not want to end the war.”

His spokesman, Mykhailo Podolyak, added fuel to the fire. “There’s no point talking to anyone but Putin. Only he can decide whether the war ends or continues.”

Zelenskyy will now remain in Ankara and meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an — but he won’t travel to Istanbul unless Putin appears.

Trump Pulls Out, Sends Rubio

Even Donald Trump pulled back. Initially considering a dramatic last-minute appearance in Istanbul, the president canceled the idea late Tuesday. Instead, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the U.S. delegation.

Trump’s spokesperson said the president would not “waste time on dead-end meetings.”

Trump had backed the European-led push for a 30-day ceasefire starting Monday. When Russia rejected that offer, Trump began distancing himself from the summit.

Still, Washington warned that if Putin skips peace talks again, harsher sanctions are coming.

Russia’s Strange Offer

Putin surprised leaders Sunday by calling for renewed peace talks “without preconditions.” But by Tuesday, it became clear — he never planned to attend.

The Kremlin claimed the meeting was to “restart negotiations from the 2022 Istanbul process,” where early talks collapsed in accusations and ultimatums.

Back then, Russia demanded that Ukraine recognize the annexation of Crimea and the Donbas, reduce its army, and give up NATO membership. Zelenskyy called those demands “a murderer’s ultimatum.”

Now, two years later, little has changed.

Istanbul 2022: A Failed Template

The original talks in Istanbul in March 2022 were the closest the war came to a pause. But they failed fast.

Russia insisted that Ukraine stay neutral, abandon its NATO dreams, and accept permanent Russian control over four eastern regions. Kyiv said no.

Later, Putin accused Ukraine of walking away from a “basically agreed deal.” Zelenskyy fired back, calling the demands a joke.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently said those Istanbul agreements “remain the basis for further talks.” But Zelenskyy insists Russia must first pull back troops and accept Ukraine’s sovereignty.

European Leaders Frustrated

Leaders from France, the UK, Germany, and Poland met with Zelenskyy on Saturday in a powerful show of unity. They endorsed the U.S.-backed ceasefire plan and urged Putin to accept.

Putin rejected it within hours. Instead, he offered Istanbul as a venue — but with a catch. No high-level Russians. No ceasefire. Just more posturing.

With Putin skipping peace talks, European diplomats now worry Moscow never intended to talk peace. “It looks like another stall tactic,” said one French official.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned, “Putin cannot play games with global security.”

Demands Still Worlds Apart

Putin wants Ukraine to surrender all of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia — four regions Moscow illegally annexed in 2022. He also demands that Ukraine give up Crimea, abandon NATO ambitions, and drastically shrink its military.

Zelenskyy says that’s not happening.

His demands remain firm: a full Russian withdrawal, security guarantees, and justice for war crimes.

And Trump? He says Crimea “will stay with Russia,” and NATO membership for Ukraine is “unlikely.” His remarks have drawn backlash in Kyiv and Europe.

Fighting Still Fierce on Front Lines

While leaders debate, soldiers die.

Russia is preparing a spring offensive. Ukrainian forces are bracing for new attacks along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front.

The Institute for the Study of War says Russia is “quickly replenishing front-line units.” Moscow also claims to have pushed Ukrainian troops out of occupied areas in the Kursk region, with help from North Korean fighters.

Zelenskyy accuses Russia of stalling negotiations just to regroup. “They want to come back stronger,” he warned.

Meanwhile, Ukraine keeps losing ground.

Ceasefires Fail, One by One

The Kremlin rejected the latest 30-day ceasefire call but announced two brief, one-sided truces: 30 hours over Orthodox Easter and 72 hours for Victory Day.

Both failed. Fighting continued. Both sides blamed each other.

A separate U.S.-brokered agreement in March aimed to stop attacks on power infrastructure for 30 days. That deal also fell apart quickly.

Accusations of violations flew daily until the ceasefire expired in April.

Trump’s Strategy in Trouble

Trump had hoped Istanbul would show progress. With Putin skipping peace talks, that hope is fading.

“If Putin’s not serious, we walk,” Trump said this week. His team is now pressuring allies to adopt new sanctions immediately.

But internal division is rising. Some U.S. officials worry Trump’s support for Putin — especially his statements about Crimea and NATO — is undermining global unity.

“It’s hard to rally allies when our own president keeps offering Putin gifts,” said one European diplomat.

What’s Next?

Zelenskyy will meet with Erdo?an in Ankara and likely stay there through the weekend. But if Putin doesn’t reverse course, there will be no summit.

Podolyak clearly clarified Ukraine’s position: “No Putin, no point.”

Meanwhile, world leaders are regrouping. EU officials are meeting Friday to draft new sanctions, and the White House is expected to announce additional measures within days.

For now, the Istanbul summit appears dead before it even began.

And with Putin skipping peace talks, the war is nowhere near its end.