Putin, Trump won’t be in Turkey for proposed direct talks between Russia-Ukraine [Video]

U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will not attend what could be the first direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in three years on Thursday.

Putin on Sunday proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Turkey “without any preconditions,” though he stopped short of saying he would attend. 

Late on Wednesday, the Kremlin said the delegation would include presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky and Russian Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin.

A U.S. official then said Trump would not attend — days after having said he was considering the trip.

The absence of the Russian and U.S. presidents lowers the expectations for a major breakthrough in the war that Russia started in February 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had challenged Putin to attend the talks “if he’s not afraid,” in an apparent contest to show Trump who wants peace more.

Zelenskyy was on his way to Turkey, a Ukrainian official said Wednesday. Earlier, Zelenskyy had said …