Peace summit in Istanbul: Putin and Selenskyj cancel! What now?

Peace summit in Istanbul: Putin and Selenskyj cancel! What now?

The planned Ukraine summit in Istanbul is facing failure after both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj canceled their participation. According to OE24, both heads of state leave out the crucial peace talks, which further dampens the hopes of termination of the conflict. Putin, who canceled his participation in the talks, is represented by a delegation under the direction of his consultant Medinski. Selenskyj also makes it clear that he will not travel to Istanbul, but will send a delegation to meet the Russian team.

The Ukrainian side is flexible in terms of the format of the conversations. Selenskyj originally asked for direct conversations with Putin to discuss a ceasefire and other important topics, but shows accommodation after Putin is not present in the war due to concerns and worrying escalation. The Ukrainian government is aiming for a 30-day ceasefire, but threatens with new sanctions against Russia, it should not be achieved, as [Kosmo] (https://www.kosmo.at/friedenspraeche- selenenskyj-allein-in-stanbul-tund-trump-sagen-ab/)

reactions and expectations

Selenskyjs insist on direct conversations with Putin, since he makes all decisions in the war, reflects the tense situation. Russian politicians criticized Selenskyj's initiative as a mere spectacle. In the meantime, the Ukrainian government interprets Putin's cancellation as a sign of fear of direct conversations. Both sides accuse each other lack of interest in serious negotiations. The requirements of Russia to Ukraine, including the recognition of occupied areas, are rejected by Kiev, which also complicated the negotiations.

In another setback, US President Donald Trump will not take part in the talks. Trump had originally promised a short-term visit to Istanbul, but expressly tied to the condition that Putin and Selenskyj are present, as is highlighted in Deutschlandfunk. The cancellation of Putin and Trump raise questions about the future direction of the peace talks and increase uncertainty about a possible peace.

international perspective

International mediators are pushing for immediate ceasefire, but Russia has direct discussions without Western participation. This puts the efforts of peace in the region to a tough test. The German Foreign Minister WadePhul and Brazilian President Lula da Silva have repeatedly asked Putin to take part in the negotiations, which has so far been unsuccessful.

The current developments show how fixed the situation between the two countries is. The Ukrainian armed forces seem to be able to continue to influence the conflict, while in Russia the front situation remains increasingly tense, as various international observers report. While the talks fail and continue to move into a position both Russia and Ukraine, hope for a diplomatic solution remains weak.