Lavrov's absence at Istanbul talks adds uncertainty to diplomacy

• Sergey Lavrov will not appear at talks in Istanbul. The Russian newspaper "Kommersant" has reported that the Russian Foreign Minister will not represent the country at the meeting concerning the war in Ukraine.
• Unknown composition of the Russian delegation. It remains undisclosed who will replace Lavrov in the talks. There had been speculation that it could be Yuri Ushakov, an advisor to Vladimir Putin.
• Zelensky's expectations: The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, expects Russia to agree to a complete and permanent ceasefire. He stated he would be waiting for Vladimir Putin in Turkey on Thursday.

The decision for Sergey Lavrov's absence at the talks in Istanbul surprised many observers. The lack of official confirmation regarding who will represent Russia raises questions about Moscow’s strategy in the context of negotiations concerning the war in Ukraine.

It is yet to be disclosed who will replace Lavrov in the talks. Earlier reports suggested that Yuri Ushakov, an advisor to Vladimir Putin on foreign policy, could be one of the participants.

However, the lack of official information on this subject leaves many doubts about the composition of the Russian delegation.

The American delegation will include the special envoy of the U.S. President, Steve Witkoff, and Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. In a conversation with journalists on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said that he does not rule out the possibility of attending the meeting.

Let’s recall that over three years after Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin proposed direct talks with Volodymyr Zelensky, which were to be held this week without any preconditions. Zelensky accepted this proposal but emphasised that Ukraine would agree to peace talks only if the Kremlin accepts a 30-day ceasefire. This proposal was made by the United States two months ago.