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Russia’s war against Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelensky is welcomed after disembarking from his plane upon his arrival in Ankara on May 15, 2025. Zelensky held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of the start of expected direct peace negotiation on May 16. (Adem Altan/AFP via Getty Images)
Russia ready to begin peace talks with Ukraine on May 16, Russian official says. A Russian delegation will await its Ukrainian counterparts to begin direct peace talks at 10 a.m. local time in Istanbul on May 16, Vladimir Medinsky, Russia’s delegation lead and advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
Zelensky sends Ukrainian delegation to Istanbul, as peace talks with Russia are expected on May 16. “Out of respect for President Trump, the high level of the Turkish delegation, and President Erdogan, and since we want to try to achieve at least the first steps toward de-escalation, an end to the war – namely a ceasefire – I have decided to send our delegation to Istanbul,” Zelensky said.
Ukraine plans to discuss only ceasefire with Russia at Istanbul talks, media reports. When asked by the Kyiv Independent, a source close to the Presidential Office did not confirm whether Ukraine would still hold the talks if Putin does not join.
Kremlin rules out Putin’s visit to Turkey for talks with Zelensky. Russian President Vladimir Putin will not visit Istanbul for a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 15, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
‘Bark from Moscow’ — Kyiv hits back as Russian Foreign Ministry insults Zelensky. “Not the first time the Russian Foreign Ministry becomes a laughing stock,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said after his Russian counterpart, Maria Zakharova, called Zelensky a “clown.”
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Trump says he might join Russia-Ukraine peace talks on May 16 if progress is made. U.S. President Donald Trump said he might still go to the potential Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations in Istanbul on May 16 if there is progress toward a deal, the BBC reported.
Trump expects no progress in Russia-Ukraine peace talks until he meets Putin. “Nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together,” U.S. President Donald Trump told journalists aboard Air Force One before landing in Dubai as part of his Middle Eastern tour.
Zelensky decries Russia’s ‘sham’ delegation ahead of potential peace talks in Turkey. “We need to understand what the level of the Russian delegation is, what their mandate is, and whether they are capable of making decisions on their own,” Zelensky said.
Russia seeks to ‘remove root causes of conflict,’ not ceasefire — Lavrov on Istanbul peace talks. Moscow’s goal in the expected peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul is achieving “sustainable peace” by addressing the “root causes of the conflict” rather than a ceasefire, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on May 15.
Ukraine-Russia peace efforts could see progress within 2 weeks, NATO chief says. “I think there is this window of opportunity this week, but also in the next 10 days, two weeks, to really bring the whole issue of Ukraine to a better place,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
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Ukraine war latest: Zelensky sends delegation to Turkey, as peace talks with Russia are expected on May 16
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced during a press conference on May 15 that he will not personally participate in the upcoming negotiations with Russia in Istanbul, instead sending a Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Photo: TUR Presidency/ Mustafa Kamaci/Anadolu via Getty Images
‘It’s a mess’ — after all the hype, Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Istanbul descend into name-calling shambles
Istanbul — it’s where Asia meets Europe, but as we now know, not where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Photo: ContrSerdar Ozsoy / Getty Images
Human cost of Russia’s war
‘My heart goes out to the beloved people of Ukraine’ — Pope Leo XIV receives list of Ukrainian POWs at Vatican. The Ukrainian delegation present in the Vatican included the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, who congratulated Pope Leo XIV on his election.
Upwards of 640,000 Russian soldiers fighting against Ukraine, Syrskyi says. Russia’s ground forces participating in combat against Ukraine amount to upwards of 640,000 soldiers, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on May 15.
Opinions and insights
Who really funds the Kyiv Independent?
A closer look at how the Kyiv Independent is financed and how our reader-revenue funding model works.
Photo: The Kyiv Independent
Ukraine Reforms Tracker Weekly — Issue 25
This is issue 25 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly “Ukraine Reforms Tracker” covering events from May 5–May 11, 2025.
Photo: Pavlo Bahmut/ Ukrinform via Getty Images
International response
‘Slap in the face’ — Estonia blasts Russia’s low-level peace delegation in Istanbul. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to send junior aides for peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul is like a “slap in the face,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on May 15.
Russian fighter jet ‘violated NATO territory’ after Estonia tried to detain ‘shadow fleet’ tanker. “The Russian Federation is ready to protect the ‘shadow fleet’… the situation is really serious,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on May 15.
Putin extends Russia’s current defense strategy to 2027 amid expected peace talks with Ukraine in Turkey. The extension of the current defense plan, initially set for 2021–2025, was confirmed by the Kremlin, though specific details remain classified.
US proposes reviving NATO-Russia Council, Bloomberg reports. The United States is proposing to revive the NATO-Russia Council as part of a broader American plan to end the war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on May 15, citing unnamed sources.
Norway to complete F-16 deliveries to Ukraine by end of 2025, minister says. The country confirmed in July 2024 that it would donate several of the U.S.-made aircraft as part of Western efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses.
Putin delays ceasefire by snubbing peace talks with Zelensky, Starmer says. “What’s happened today is further evidence that it’s Putin who is dragging his feet,” U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
Level of Russian delegation ‘not indicative‘ of breakthrough in Istanbul peace talks, Rubio says. U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio said that meaningful progress would likely only come through a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
‘We didn’t oppose it’ — Rubio denies opposing Zelensky’s participation at NATO summit. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on May 15 denied reports that the United States opposes President Volodymyr Zelensky’s participation at the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague.
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In other news
Pro-Ukraine partisans sabotage railway track near Russia’s Smolensk. The operation was carried out in Russia’s Smolensk Oblast, a western region bordering Belarus, to disrupt arms and equipment shipments to Russian forces stationed at Ukraine’s northeastern border.
Ukraine shows its latest ‘ship-killer’ Magura drone series to the public for the first time. The Magura drones, as well as the Sea Baby drones of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), were pivotal in turning the tide of the war in the Black Sea, destroying or damaging Russian ships and other assets.
Putin appoints Russian Ground Forces Commander Saliukov to Security Council role. It remains unclear who will replace General Oleg Saliukov as commander of the Ground Forces.
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