Russian media report that Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov does not plan to participate in the upcoming negotiations with Ukraine scheduled for May 15 in Istanbul, Turkey
This information was obtained from Russian sources, notably the materials of the newspaper "Kommersant," which, citing unnamed informants, states that Lavrov’s participation in the meeting is highly uncertain. It is noted that the day before, a former high-ranking official of the Kremlin suggested that the Russian delegation in Istanbul might include Lavrov and the aide to the Russian President, Yuri Ushakov. However, no final decisions have been announced at this time. While the U.S. government indicates that the official composition of the Russian delegation remains unknown, the official Kremlin has been silent for the third consecutive day, withholding details about the participants in the negotiations. In the context of international diplomatic efforts, it is worth noting that the main Ukrainian representative at the negotiation platform remains President Volodymyr Zelensky. He has stated that his team plans to meet with the Turkish leader in the capital, Ankara, on Thursday, May 15. At the same time, the Ukrainian head of state noted that if Russian President Vladimir Putin agrees to come to Istanbul, he and Erdoğan would plan negotiations either in the Turkish capital or directly at the negotiation site in Istanbul. Overall, the situation surrounding a possible meeting between Russia and Ukraine remains tense and raises many questions about the complexity of diplomatic processes amid the war. Official and unofficial sources offer differing assessments of the parties’ readiness and the possible format of the negotiations, which presents new challenges for further diplomatic resolution of the conflict. The lack of clear information and uncertainty regarding the delegations could impact the future course and effectiveness of the negotiation process.