U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin chose not to attend talks in Istanbul because Trump himself did not go.
“Why would he go if I'm not going?” Trump told reporters, adding that, in his view, it was unlikely Putin would have traveled to Istanbul in his absence.
In the early hours of May 11, Putin proposed resuming direct negotiations with Ukraine, suggesting a meeting in Istanbul on May 15. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was prepared to meet with Putin in person.
For several days, Russian officials did not confirm whether Putin would attend. It was later announced that the Russian delegation would be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who also represented Russia in negotiations with Ukraine at the start of the full-scale invasion. The delegation arrived in Istanbul on the morning of May 15.