Zelenskyy left in the dust as Putin, Trump skip out on peace talks in Turkey

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Ankara, Turkey Thursday morning ahead of a meeting on peace negotiations with Russia, as the neighbouring nations’ war continues.

Delegations from both Russia and Ukraine travelled for the Istanbul meeting, however, Zelenskyy’s counterpart, President Vladimir Putin, was absent.

After meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Zelenskyy decided to send all but two members of his delegation to Istanbul, suggesting Russia was not interested in resolving the conflict after Putin’s no-show.

“[Putin] is not either here or in Istanbul. We cannot run around the entire world looking for a man,” Zelenskyy said.

Despite suggesting he might make an appearance, U.S. President Donald Trump also failed to show face. Questioned by reporters, the Republican leader said, “Nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together, OK?”