US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cast doubt on the success of renewed peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul, stating that real progress hinges on a direct meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Rubio made the remarks after a NATO summit in southern Turkey, echoing Trump’s own comments that nothing substantive will happen until he and Putin meet in person.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed his country would participate in the talks but criticised Russia’s “low-level” delegation, which includes aide Vladimir Medinsky. Despite Medinsky’s insistence on the delegation’s competence, Zelensky called the move disrespectful to both Trump and Turkish President Erdogan. Russia, which currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, reportedly wants to resume negotiations from where they collapsed in 2022—terms Ukraine continues to reject. Meanwhile, hostilities persist on the ground, with Russia claiming further advances in the Donetsk region.
