By Dmitry Antonov and Andrew Osborn
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Uncertainty swirled around what could be the first direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in years after the Kremlin on Wednesday held off disclosing who would represent Russia, and Ukraine demanded clarity before deciding on its own actions.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said he might turn up himself if the circumstances are right, said he did not know if Russian President Vladimir Putin would turn up to Thursday’s planned talks in Istanbul, something that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has challenged the Kremlin leader to do.
“I don’t know that he (Putin) would be there if I’m not there. We’re going to find out,” Trump told reporters while travelling on board Air Force One en route to Qatar.
Trump, who is growing increasingly frustrated with both Russia and Ukraine as he tries to push them towards a peace settlement, said he was “always considering” secondary sanctions against Moscow if he thought it was blocking the process.
U.S. officials have spoken about possible financial sanctions as well as potential secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian oil.
Trump wants a 30-day ceasefire in the war, which Zelenskiy backs. Putin has said he first wants to start talks at which the details of such a ceasefire could be discussed.
Putin on Sunday proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday “without any preconditions,” setting up what would be the first such talks between the sides in three years.
But Putin did not say who would be attending from Moscow’s side and his spokesman – who said the talks were definitely on – told reporters on Wednesday he was still unable to disclose who would be representing Russia as he was waiting for instructions from the Kremlin chief.
Zelenskiy has said he will attend the talks with Russia only if Putin is also there.
A Ukrainian diplomatic source told Reuters on Wednesday that Ukraine’s leadership would decide on its next steps for peace talks in Turkey once there was clarity on Putin’s participation.
“Everything will depend on whether Putin is scared of coming to Istanbul or not. Based on his response, the Ukrainian leadership will decide on the next steps,” the source said,
If Putin agrees to join, it would be the first meeting between the leaders of the two warring countries since December 2019. Direct talks between negotiators from Ukraine and Russia last took place in Istanbul in March 2022, a month after Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.
Unconfirmed Russian and U.S. media reports have said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy aide, will be in Istanbul and ready to meet their Ukrainian counterparts.
Asked by reporters in a daily briefing on Wednesday if the Kremlin could reveal the make-up of the Russian delegation, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “We will do that when we get an instruction to do so from the president.”
Peskov said Putin’s offer of direct talks with Ukraine “remained valid”.
“The Russian delegation will be waiting for the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul on May 15,” he said.
Trump has said he will send Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg to the talks, while also offering to attend himself.
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov in Moscow;Additional reporting by Tom Balmforth and by Doina Chiacu and Susan Heavey in Washington Writing by Andrew Osborn and Lucy PapachristouEditing by Gareth Jones)
