The war in Ukraine is currently centered in Istanbul. In the Turkish city, bilateral talks between Russia and Ukraine may take place on Thursday. A meeting that could be the first step towards peace. However, caution is necessary regarding its potential scope because Vladimir Putin has not confirmed his presence yet. Kiev, on the other hand, assures that Zelenski will attend.
The search for an end to the war in Ukraine was a repeatedly cited goal by Donald Trump during the campaign that led him to the White House. The importance he places on the Istanbul meeting is evident by his plan to send two special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, there.
Meanwhile, the European Union remains wary of Putin's intentions. German Chancellor Merz warned on Tuesday of the possibility of imposing new sanctions on Russia if there is no progress towards ending the war in Ukraine at the Istanbul meeting.
Greece Calls on EU to Stand "United" on Ending War in Ukraine
The EU must be at the center of any peace agreement for Ukraine, stated Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday, as reported by Reuters. "The EU must stand united," Mitsotakis declared after meeting in Berlin with the new German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz.
Russian Justice Sentences 'Putin's Banker' Oligarch to 14 Years in Absentia
A Moscow court sentenced in absentia on Tuesday Sergei Pugachov, a Russian oligarch who was close to President Vladimir Putin before his presidency and during his first term, to 14 years in prison for corruption. "The court found Sergei Pugachov guilty of embezzlement of funds, using his official position for this purpose, and abuse of power, sentencing him to 14 years in prison," reads the judicial sentence.
According to the investigation, between 2008 and 2009, as the owner of Mezhprombank, Pugachov organized a corrupt system through which he misappropriated up to 28,700 million rubles, approximately around 1 billion dollars at the time.
In 2010, Pugachov, popularly known as 'Putin's banker', used his position to deliberately bankrupt his own bank, which according to Russian Justice rendered the entity unable to meet its obligations to creditors. Additionally, the court imposed a fine of 800,000 rubles, around 9,900 dollars at the current exchange rate, and deprived him of the right to hold management positions in financial entities for three years, a penalty that will begin at the time of his arrest or extradition to Russia.
In 2011, shortly before Russian authorities issued an international search warrant, Pugachov fled Russia seeking refuge, mainly in France, where he has had nationality since 2009.
The European Union is prepared to impose tougher sanctions on Russia if there is no progress this week towards ending the war in Ukraine. This was the specific content of the warning issued on Tuesday by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who added that a new package of sanctions was being prepared.
"We are awaiting Putin's agreement, and we agree that if there are no real advances this week, we want to work together at the European level for a significant tightening of sanctions," stated Merz in a press conference with his Greek counterpart.
President Donald Trump's top envoys, Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, will travel to Istanbul for possible talks on Thursday on how to end Russia's war in Ukraine, said three sources familiar with the matter on Tuesday, as reported by Reuters.
German Chancellor Merz warned Russia that if there is no progress this week towards a ceasefire in Ukraine, sanctions will be increased, according to a recent update from Reuters.
China and Brazil have expressed hope that Ukraine and Russia can reach an understanding that allows for the "start of fruitful negotiations" addressing the "legitimate concerns" of all parties, according to a joint statement from both countries regarding the possibility of a meeting in Istanbul between the warring countries, as reported by Reuters.
The statement was issued after a meeting between the President of China, Xi Jinping, and the Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in Beijing on the same day.
The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, stated on Tuesday that she does not believe Russia is truly interested in establishing peace in Ukraine, according to a recent update from Reuters.
The leaders of China and Brazil have agreed to support direct dialogue between Russia and Ukraine and are confident that it should "begin" as soon as possible, both countries stated in a joint declaration, according to a recent update from Reuters.
The leaders of China, Xi Jinping, and Brazil, Lula da Silva, were in Moscow's Red Square last Friday for the commemoration of the end of World War II, where Russian President Vladimir Putin received around thirty foreign leaders in a demonstration that, despite the aggression in Ukraine, he is not as isolated as the West believes.
The Kremlin rejected on Tuesday the ruling of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) holding Russia responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine in 2014, which claimed the lives of 298 people, reports Efe.
"Our position is well known. Russia did not participate in the investigation of that incident, so we do not accept biased conclusions," said the spokesman for the Russian Presidency, Dmitry Peskov, in his daily telephone press conference.
The ICAO determined yesterday that Russia is responsible for the 2014 downing of flight MH17 and has violated the Convention on International Civil Aviation, or Chicago Convention, which prohibits states from using weapons against civil aircraft in flight.
In this context, the Netherlands and Australia, whose passengers were on board the crashed plane, plan to request that Russia "initiate negotiations with both countries" leading to concrete results.
Kiev stated on Tuesday that the absence of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the negotiations on Thursday in Istanbul, where his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend, would be the "definitive signal" that Moscow does not want to end the war.
"I believe that if Vladimir Putin refuses to go to Turkey, it will be the definitive signal that Russia does not want to end this war, that it is not willing to negotiate," reads a statement published on the Ukrainian presidency's website, citing Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's right-hand man, as reported by Afp.
After European allies of Kiev urged a 30-day ceasefire starting on May 12, Vladimir Putin declared on Saturday that he was willing to hold "direct" talks between Russians and Ukrainians on May 15 in Istanbul. Zelensky responded by offering to meet with Putin "in person" in the same city.
Analysts See Unlikely a Meeting Between Putin and Zelensky
The Kremlin has not yet responded to Kiev's offer, but the press and analysts consider it unlikely that Putin will meet with the Ukrainian leader, with whom he was last seen in Paris in December 2019, more than two years before the start of the war, reports Efe.
US President Donald Trump, who arrived in Saudi Arabia today on his first trip abroad, did not rule out traveling to Istanbul if his presence "is useful."
Meanwhile, Peskov ruled out that European countries could participate in the negotiating process, as -he argued- "Europe has taken a total and complete stand in favor of Ukraine."