Putin, Trump to skip Ukraine's peace talks that Russian leader proposed

By Steve Holland and Tom Balmforth

WASHINGTON/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin volition not be what could beryllium the archetypal nonstop bid talks betwixt Moscow and Kyiv successful 3 years connected Thursday, the Kremlin sending alternatively a radical of experienced technocrats.

Putin connected Sunday projected nonstop negotiations with Ukraine successful Istanbul connected Thursday "without immoderate preconditions". Late connected Wednesday, the Kremlin said the delegation would see statesmanlike advisor Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin.

After the Kremlin's delegation announcement, a U.S. authoritative said Trump would not be - days aft saying that helium was considering the trip.

While Putin had ne'er confirmed helium would be successful person, the lack of the Russian and U.S. presidents lowers the expectations for a large breakthrough successful the warfare that Russia started successful February 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had challenged the Kremlin person to be the talks "if he's not afraid," successful an evident contention to amusement Trump who wants bid more. Zelenskiy was connected his mode to Turkey, a Ukrainian authoritative said. Earlier, the Kyiv person has said helium would instrumentality portion successful the negotiations lone if Putin were there.

Trump wants the 2 sides to motion up to a 30-day ceasefire to intermission Europe's biggest onshore warfare since World War Two, and a Russian lawmaker said connected Wednesday determination could besides beryllium discussions astir a immense captive of warfare exchange.

Zelenskiy backs an contiguous 30-day ceasefire, but Putin has said helium archetypal wants to commencement talks astatine which the details of specified a ceasefire could beryllium discussed.

MORE SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA?

Trump, who is increasing progressively frustrated with some Russia and Ukraine arsenic helium tries to propulsion them towards a bid settlement, said helium was "always considering" secondary sanctions against Moscow if helium thought it was blocking the process.

U.S. officials person spoken astir imaginable fiscal sanctions arsenic good arsenic imaginable secondary sanctions connected buyers of Russian oil.

A Ukrainian diplomatic root told Reuters connected Wednesday that Ukraine's enactment would determine connected its adjacent steps for bid talks successful Turkey erstwhile determination was clarity connected Putin's participation.

The U.S. delegation to Turkey included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and elder envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said aboriginal connected Thursday helium had met with Rubio to stock Zelenskiy's bid imaginativeness and "coordinate positions during this captious week."

Medinsky and Fomin, portion of the Russian delegation, took portion successful the past acceptable of negotiations betwixt the 2 sides successful the archetypal weeks of the war.

Direct talks betwixt negotiators from Ukraine and Russia past took spot successful Istanbul successful March 2022, a period aft Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine successful what helium calls a "special subject operation" to basal retired neo-Nazis.

Ukraine and its allies accidental the penetration was an unprovoked, imperial-style onshore grab.

(Reporting by Steve Holland, Tom Balmforth, Ron Popeski, Lidia Kelly, Moscow and Kyiv bureaus; Writing by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Franklin Paul and Stephen Coates)