Russian media: Lavrov will not attend possible Ukraine-Russia talks in Istanbul

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will not take part in potential talks with Ukraine that may take place in Türkiye on 15 May.

As reported by Russian newspaper Kommersant, citing unnamed sources, previously, a "senior former Kremlin official" told The Washington Post that Lavrov and Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov were expected to join the Russian delegation in Istanbul.

However, Kommersant’s sources now say the Russian foreign minister will not be among the delegation.

Officially, the Kremlin has not disclosed the composition of its negotiating delegation in Istanbul for the third day in a row.

On 14 May, US President Donald Trump said that he does not know whether Putin will attend the negotiations on the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is scheduled to meet with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Thursday, but if Putin agrees to come to Istanbul, both he and Erdoğan will fly there to meet him.