SHOTLIST: ISTANBUL, TÜRKİYE (MAY 15, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL) 1. EXTERIOR OF DOLMABAHCE PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE - VENUE FOR RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN PEACE TALKS 2. VARIOUS OF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS WAITING OUTSIDE DOLMABAHCE OFFICE TO COVER ARRIVAL OF DELEGATIONS, AND MEETINGS ISTANBUL, TÜRKİYE - MAY 15: Russian and Ukrainian delegations are set to meet in Istanbul on Thursday, May 15, for peace talks aimed at ending the ongoing war, marking a renewed diplomatic effort facilitated by Türkiye. Experts believe that Istanbul is the most suitable venue for renewed direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine after three years, due to Türkiye’s consistent efforts towards achieving a fair and lasting peace. Attention has shifted to the talks set to take place in Istanbul on Thursday, following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to initiate unconditional and direct talks with Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed his attendance at negotiations in Türkiye, and in light of these developments, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated Ankara’s longstanding support and declared its readiness to host the talks to help achieve a just and lasting peace. The failed negotiations held in Istanbul in April 2022, just two months after the war began, are seen as a missed opportunity. - Russia-Ukraine war and negotiations The war, which began with Russia’s attack on Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, has led to the partial annexation of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions. With Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, Ukraine lost control of about one-fifth of its territory. The US and European countries have provided significant military and economic support to Ukraine while imposing severe sanctions on Russia for its annexations. After initial meetings in Belarus, the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine met on March 10, 2022, at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. Türkiye brought the parties together again on March 29, 2022, in Istanbul. The consensus reached during the Istanbul negotiations fell apart amid accusations of civilian killings in the city of Bucha and claims that the UK and the US opposed the agreement. Despite the intensification of the war, Türkiye continued its efforts for peace and, with the support of the UN, brought the parties together again in the same year, resulting in the internationally acclaimed Black Sea Grain Initiative Agreement. Erdogan, one of the few leaders able to talk to both sides, has continued to offer to host and mediate peace talks. With Donald Trump’s election as the US president, diplomatic activity has regained momentum. On May 11, Russian President Putin proposed resuming the direct negotiations that were cut off three years ago, this time without preconditions, and requested that Türkiye host the talks in Istanbul on May 15. Ukraine responded positively to the proposal, and the international community welcomed the Istanbul peace talks agenda.