Direct talks between Russia and Ukraine were expected to take place in Istanbul on May 16, 2025, but neither Russian President Vladimir Putin nor Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were planning to attend. The first direct meeting between the two countries in three years was set to occur with Turkish representatives present. Trilateral talks were planned between the United States, Ukraine, and Turkey, as well as between Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey. The US delegation was to be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who stated that the United States did not have high expectations for the talks.

Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said his delegation expected the Ukrainian side and was ready for direct talks without preconditions. However, Zelenskyy said he would not attend in protest of Putin's refusal to participate, viewing Putin's decision to send a "decorative" lineup as a sign he was not serious about ending the war. Russia, in turn, accused Ukraine of trying to "put on a show" around the talks, implying they were not taking the negotiations seriously.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the importance of respecting Ukraine's territorial integrity during any peace negotiations. He stated that a just peace means respecting the UN Charter, international law, and Ukraine's territorial integrity, which he acknowledged would not be easy. Guterres expressed optimism that a ceasefire could be reached without preconditions to create a basis for a just peace between Russia and Ukraine.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer asserted that Putin "must pay the price for avoiding peace." Ahead of a European Political Community meeting in Albania, Starmer criticized Putin's tactics to dither and delay while continuing the bloodshed in Ukraine, calling them intolerable.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that only direct talks between US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin could bring about a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine. He said that nothing would happen until Trump sits across from Putin and puts it on the table, reiterating similar comments made by Trump himself.