A much-anticipated round of direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Türkiye unravelled into confusion today. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Türkiye, Russian President Vladimir Putin dispatched a second-tier team of negotiators. The Russian president has stayed away from a face-to-face meeting with the Ukrainian president in Türkiye.

Talking to reporters in the Turkish capital, Ankara, President Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian side will be headed by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov for potential negotiations. He said the Russian delegation does not include anyone who actually makes decisions, accusing Moscow of not making efforts to end the war seriously.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the Russian delegation has reached Istanbul for talks with Ukraine and is ready for serious work. She added the Russian president proposed restarting those direct talks without delay or any preliminary conditions.

On the other hand, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine cannot be solved militarily. The top US diplomat was talking to media after arriving at Antalya in Türkiye today for an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers. He said the war between Russia and Ukraine is going to end not through a military solution but through a diplomatic one. Mr Rubio further stated that the US hopes that progress will soon be made in the negotiation process, noting the situation around the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict remains complicated.