Putin's absence punctured hopes of a breakthrough in peace efforts that were given a push in recent months by the Trump administration and Western European leaders.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin for skipping peace talks in Turkey, calling the move “unserious” and “disrespectful.” Instead of attending himself, Putin sent aide Vladimir Medinsky,

Ukraine had framed Zelensky's demand for a face-to-face meeting with Putin as a test of Russia's true willingness to negotiate peace. Arriving in Turkey, he slammed the Russian delegation as "theatrical" and contrasted it to Ukraine's high-level group.