Tue May 13 15:49:30 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**Ukraine Warns Putin’s Absence at Turkey Talks Signals Lack of Seriousness About Peace**
**Kyiv, May 13, 2025 (The Hindu)** — Ukraine stated today that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s potential absence from planned peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey, would be a clear indication that Moscow is not genuinely seeking an end to the ongoing conflict. The meeting, scheduled for Thursday, would represent the first direct negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian officials since the initial months of Russia’s invasion in 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Putin to personally attend the talks, an invitation to which the Kremlin has not yet responded. Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, stated that Putin’s refusal would signal that Russia “does not want to end this war.” Ukraine is calling for increased military aid from Western allies if Putin declines to participate.
U.S. President Donald Trump has also weighed in, urging both leaders to attend and suggesting he might also be present. However, Putin’s spokesman declined to comment on who Russia would send to the negotiations.
The proposed talks follow a request from Kyiv and European nations for a 30-day ceasefire. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced millions.
While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered to host the negotiations and urged both sides to seize the opportunity for peace, the outcome remains uncertain. Putin has indicated that any talks should focus on the “root causes” of the conflict, a reference to Moscow’s grievances regarding NATO expansion and the treatment of Russian speakers in Ukraine. Kyiv and the West dismiss these grievances as justification for an imperial land grab.
Previous talks in Istanbul in March 2022 failed to produce a breakthrough.
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