Have you seen these men? Putin and Trump missing from Ukraine peace talks

Posted by. Posted onMay 15, 2025 Comments0
Missing posters of Putin and Trump
Both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump have decided not to attend the negotiations in Turkey (Picture: EPA/Getty)

‘Have you seen these men?’

Missing posters would not go amiss in Istanbul where delegations from Ukraine, Russia and America are gathering today for negotiations to end the war.

Two chairs remain empty as Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump chose to opt out of the diplomatic stage.

Volodymyr Zelensky challenged his Russian counterpart to negotiate in-person – but the chances were slim.

It is a stark reminder of his continued distancing from meaningful talksand the deadlock that shows no sign of loosening.

Ukraine’s president will meet Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, but he made it clear that he will not negotiate with anyone except the Russian leader.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talks to journalists as he arrives at Esenboga airport in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky talks to journalists as he arrives at Esenboga airport in Ankara, Turkey (Picture: AP)

Meanwhile, the man who promised to end the full-scale invasion within 24 hours in the White House is also skipping Istanbul.

Trump’s excuse is his ongoing Middle East tour. In Qatar, the Republican was questioned by the media about Putin’s no-show.

In response, he said: ‘Why would he go if I am not going? I did not think it was possible for Putin to go if I’ am not there.’

The US president said he could still travel to Turkey tomorrow if progress is made today.

‘If something happened, I would go on Friday if it was appropriate,’ Trump promised.

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This means his absence – or presence, likely to collect accolades – could be used to interpret which way the scale is tipping.

‘We can help the world psychologically. So we think we are going to do well with Russia-Ukraine,’ he had said earlier.

Trump said a day earlier that he would go to Turkey for the talks if Putin did show up.

There are fears the negotiations will again fall through if both leaders are not present.

Instead, Putin is sending a more junior delegation, a calculated move that Estonian foreign minister Margus Tsahkna described as a ‘slap in the face’.

@gergana.krasteva

This is why Putin could be avoiding the Ukraine-Russia peace talks #ukraine #russia #volodymyrzelensky #vladimirputin #donaldtrump #worldnews

♬ original sound – Gergana Krasteva | Journalist

Zelensky also it looks ‘more like a sham level’, adding: ‘We will think about what we will do and what our next steps will be after talking with president Erdogan.

‘We must understand what level the Russian delegation is and what their mandate is, whether they are able to make something themselves, as weall know who in Russia makes the decisions.’

Finnish minister of foreign affairs, Elina Valtonen, who is arriving at a Nato meeting in Antalya, said: ‘When it is about peace, a ceasefire, and how to end the war, we have one chair empty, which is the chair of Vladimir Putin.’

She added: ‘I guess that the world has realised there is only one party not willing to engage in serious peace negotiations and that certainly is Russia.’

Ukraine has declared ‘time and again’ its willingness for a 30-day ceasefire and to end a war ‘it didn’t start in the first place’ but ‘Russia is not available’, she continued.

Details about when and where the Ukrainian delegation might meet their Russian counterparts are still unclear.

It is expected to be clarified after Zelensky and Erdogan meet, according to a Ukrainian official who requested anonymity to speak openly about the plan.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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