The Russian side has officially announced the composition of the delegation that will travel to Turkey to participate in the planned negotiations with the Ukrainian side
However, the main actor — President Vladimir Putin — will not be among the participants in the negotiation process. This came as a surprise to analysts and serves as a message highlighting a shift in the format and approaches from the Russian side regarding diplomatic contacts concerning Ukrainian settlement. According to official data approved by the Kremlin’s press service late on May 14, the delegation for negotiations in Turkey does not include the Russian President himself, which may indicate a change in Moscow’s status or strategic approach to these negotiations. As a result, experts increasingly note a new stage in the diplomatic relations between Russia and Ukraine, likely implying a more indirect approach. Leading the delegation has been entrusted to Vladimir Medinsky, Putin’s assistant, who has a long history of working in Russian political and administrative spheres and acts as a key advisor to the president on domestic and foreign policy issues. The positions of other delegation members confirm its high status: it includes Mikhail Galuzin — Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, responsible for high-level diplomatic contacts; Igor Kostyukov — Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, directly responsible for the military aspects of the negotiations; and Alexander Fomin — Deputy Minister of Defense. All of them have significant experience and influence within Russian corporate and military structures. The delegation will also include representatives from other agencies, which indicates serious preparation and a broad range of Russian interests in this diplomatic process. The key question now is what role Moscow will play this time in the negotiation process, whether it will focus on diplomacy and restraint, and how this will affect the future course of the conflict. Considering that Putin is not personally participating in this trip, the actual level and nature of negotiations may change: from direct leadership influence to a more distant role played by representatives carrying out their higher command’s orders. This could be a consequence of political and diplomatic factors, including shifts in domestic discourse and international relations, as well as Moscow’s strategic desire to demonstrate a united will by delegating some negotiation functions to subordinate officials. Meanwhile, in Turkey, considering international attention, preparations are underway for negotiations that could become a key milestone in the ongoing conflict. The reactions of Ukraine and other participants — both official and opposition — to this new diplomatic configuration and the change in the format, including Putin’s absence from the list of participants, will be significant. Analysts suggest that this may also indicate Russia’s intention to save face on the international stage and avoid direct responsibility for the consequences, while aiming to preserve its strategic positions and gain new diplomatic opportunities. Such a scenario raises questions about future negotiations and their potential outcomes, as the absence of the Kremlin leader from the delegation serves as a new signal to all participants — a tactic of remote leadership replacing personal involvement at a high level. In conclusion, the events surrounding the reshaping of the negotiation formats and the “absence of Putin” from this process unequivocally point to a new level of complexity in the diplomatic process, raising many questions for Ukraine and the international community as a whole. It is evident that the upcoming negotiations in Turkey will serve as a significant test for Russian diplomacy and its ability to compromise or potentially lead to miscalculations in the relations between Ukraine and Russia.