Putin will not travel to Istanbul for peace talks with Zelenskyy, Kremlin confirms

Russian leader rejects Ukrainian president’s bold proposal for face-to-face meeting in Turkey

Vladimir Putin speaks during a joint press statement with Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim at the Kremlin. File picture: Alexander Nemenov/AP

Vladimir Putin will not travel to Istanbul for talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Kremlin has said, rejecting the Ukrainian president’s bold proposal for a face-to-face meeting in Turkey to discuss peace.

In a statement late on Wednesday, the Kremlin said its delegation would be led by Vladimir Medinsky, a hardline Putin aide who led the only previous round of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in 2022.