Volodymyr Zelensky calls Russian delegation a ‘sham’ as Vladimir Putin absent from talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Turkey early Thursday for scheduled peace talks, but Russian President Vladimir Putin did not show up.

Zelensky hammered the Russian delegation upon landing in Ankara, calling it a “sham.” 

“I don’t officially know the level of the Russians yet. But from what we see, it looks like a sham,” Zelensky said Thursday. “We will think about what we will do, what steps we will take, after talking with [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan.”

“We will understand the level of the Russian delegation, what their mandate is, whether they are able to make at least something themselves,” he added. “Everyone knows who makes decisions in Russia.” 

Over the weekend, Putin suggested Moscow would be open to direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul to discuss the three-year war in Eastern Europe. Zelensky soon after said he was prepared to fly to Turkey to begin direct talks with his Russian counterpart.

The Kremlin then late Wednesday announced that a lower-level delegation, including aides and deputy ministers, would make the trip, confirming that Putin would not be there. 

President Trump, who has pushed for ending the three-year conflict, told reporters during a gaggle Thursday that he was not surprised Putin did not show, citing his own absence. 

“I actually said, ‘Why would he go if I’m not going?’” Trump said. “I would go, but I wasn’t planning to go, and I said, ‘I don’t think he’s going to go if I don’t go.’”

The president left the door open for traveling to Turkey on Friday but also mentioned that he has a packed schedule during his ongoing Middle East trip. 

“If something happened, I would go on Friday if it was appropriate,” he said.

The administration has looked to assist in ending the largest land conflict in Europe since World War II. The U.S. has pushed both countries to agree to a 30-day ceasefire. While Ukraine is on-board, Russia has not agreed, so far, to do the same.