Putin skips Ukraine talks in Turkey as Russia shirks pressure from Trump, hurls insults at Zelenskyy instead
CBS1 day
Russia-Ukraine Delegations Meet for First Time Since 2022
Above: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan chairs a Turkey-Russia-Ukraine Trilateral Meeting at Dolmabahce Presidential Office in Istanbul, Turkey on May 16, 2025. Image copyright: Arda Kucukkaya/Anadolu/Contributor via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-Russia narrative
Ukraine's negotiating team only seems interested in achieving a 30-day ceasefire without wanting to address the root issues of the conflict. This is concerning, as a long-term solution is all that will be acceptable to the Russian side of the equation.
Pro-Ukraine narrative
Talks with Russia concluded just as expected, with them making a number of unreasonable and unexpected demands, many of which are non-starters for Ukraine.