May 16, 2025

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said only direct talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could bring about a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine. 

"Nothing is going to happen until President Trump sits across ... from Vladimir Putin and ... puts it on the table," Rubio said on Thursday ahead of planned talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Turkey on Friday. 

"I think that's the only chance we have at peace at this point given everything we've seen over the last few weeks," Rubio told Fox News, repeating comments he had made earlier in the day.

Trump made similar remarks on Thursday.

"Nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together, OK?" Trump told journalists on the final day of his Middle East visit. 

May 16, 2025

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls for respect for the territorial integrity of Ukraine in the course of the possible peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

"A just peace means respecting the UN Charter, international law, and Ukraine's territorial integrity. This will not be easy," Guterres told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

According to the UN chief, the principle of territorial integrity is of the utmost importance. "It is fundamental to peace and security in the world," Guterres said, adding that if the principle of territorial integrity no longer applied, it would lead to an increase in conflicts.

Nevertheless, he observed the ongoing peace efforts with optimism. Guterres expressed confidence that a ceasefire could be reached without preconditions to create the basis for a just peace between Russia and Ukraine.

May 16, 2025

Ahead of a European Political Community meeting in Albania, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Russian President Vladimir Putin "must pay the price for avoiding peace."

"Putin's tactics to dither and delay, while continuing to kill and cause bloodshed across Ukraine, (are) intolerable," Starmer said in a statement.

The European Political Community summit is taking place on the same day that talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations are expected to begin in Turkey.

May 16, 2025

Negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian envoys in Istanbul are expected to begin Friday morning.

Sources from Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told German news agency dpa that the first direct meeting between the two countries in three years is now set to take place with Turkish representatives present.

The ministry sources also said that trilateral talks are planned between the United States, Ukraine and Turkey, as well as between Russia, Ukraine and Turkey.

The US delegation is led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He told reporters that the United States "doesn't have high expectations" for the Ukraine talks in Istanbul.

Meanwhile, Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky told the Interfax news agency that his delegation expects the Ukrainian side at 10 a.m. (7:00 a.m. UST) and is ready for direct talks without preconditions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would not attend the talks in protest of his counterpart, Russian President Vladimir Putin, refusing to participate.

Zelenskyy said that Putin's decision to send a "decorative" lineup instead of attending himself showed that the Russian leader was not serious about ending the war.

Russia accused Ukraine of trying "to put on a show" around the talks.

May 16, 2025

Low-profile talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations are expected to begin in Istanbul, Turkey.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who proposed the talks, will not attend.

His Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has already arrived in Turkey and met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday.

Zelenskyy confirmed that he will not take part in talks with Russian officials. Instead, he is sending a delegation headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

DW will bring you the latest news, analysis and insight from our reporters and correspondents regarding Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Stay tuned for more.