Putin Snubs Ukraine Peace Summit in Turkey, Casting Shadow Over Ceasefire Hopes

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stands beside Turkish President Erdoğan at the opening of the Istanbul peace summit on May 15. Russia's absence has cast serious doubts over the success of the talks. (Photo: Alper Deniz/AFP)

By Elena Mirov | Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent

ISTANBUL, May 15 — Hopes for a breakthrough in the protracted Russia-Ukraine war dimmed on Thursday as Russian President Vladimir Putin officially declined to attend the internationally mediated peace summit in Istanbul, dealing a blow to renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at halting over three years of relentless conflict.

The summit, co-hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and United Nations officials, was set to bring together top representatives from Kyiv and Moscow in what many had hoped would be the first meaningful step toward a durable ceasefire in months. But hours before the opening session, the Kremlin confirmed Putin would not be attending, nor would he be sending a senior delegate in his place.

“President Putin has determined that the current conditions for productive negotiation do not exist,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov during a televised briefing. “Russia remains open to peace — but not to performative diplomacy.”

Zelenskyy Responds With Frustration, Resolve

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who arrived in Istanbul on Wednesday accompanied by foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba and defense advisors, expressed frustration over Moscow’s absence.

“Peace requires presence. You cannot negotiate from a bunker,” Zelenskyy said in a stern address to assembled diplomats. “Russia cannot claim to seek peace while it bombs our cities and evades dialogue.”

Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s demands for a full Russian withdrawal from occupied territories, the return of prisoners of war, and a roadmap for reparations — conditions the Kremlin has previously rejected outright.

Turkey Caught in the Middle

President Erdoğan, who has styled himself as a neutral mediator since the war began in 2022, attempted to put a diplomatic spin on the setback.

“Dialogue is not a single meeting, but a process,” Erdoğan said during the opening ceremony. “Even in absence, there is a message. And we will work to translate that message into momentum for peace.”

Despite Erdoğan’s balancing act, the summit’s tone turned noticeably more tense after news of Putin’s withdrawal. Several European leaders, including Germany’s Olaf Scholz and France’s Emmanuel Macron, issued statements expressing “deep disappointment.”

Geopolitical Implications and NATO Reaction

Putin’s absence is being interpreted by Western analysts as a calculated signal — that Russia, bolstered by battlefield gains in eastern Ukraine and strengthened ties with China and Iran, sees little incentive to compromise.

“This is Putin reaffirming his belief that time is on his side,” said Fiona Beck, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. “He doesn’t believe the West will sustain its support for Ukraine indefinitely, and he’s testing that theory.”

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called the snub “regrettable, but not surprising,” and reaffirmed that NATO would continue military and humanitarian support to Ukraine “for as long as it takes.”

Meanwhile, reports from the Donbas region indicate renewed shelling overnight, with local Ukrainian officials describing the latest Russian offensive as the “most aggressive” in weeks.

A Road to Nowhere?

The Istanbul summit had been touted as a potential reset after previous negotiation attempts in Geneva and Minsk collapsed in 2023. With Putin's no-show and no concrete proposals left on the table, many are now questioning whether any diplomatic path remains viable.

“Peace without participation is an illusion,” said former UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura. “Unless Moscow engages directly, this process risks becoming symbolic rather than substantive.”

Public Sentiment and War Fatigue

As the war drags into its fourth year, public sentiment across Europe is shifting. Mass protests calling for peace talks have erupted in Berlin, Warsaw, and Budapest in recent weeks. In Russia, state media continues to frame the conflict as a "defensive operation," but underground reports suggest growing discontent among Russian families with conscripted sons still fighting.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian citizens are showing signs of exhaustion, though resilience remains strong. “We’ve survived winter without heat, missiles without fear,” said Mariya Kovalenko, a teacher from Kharkiv. “But what we need is peace — not more promises.”