Moscow's goal in the expected peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul is achieving "sustainable peace" by addressing the "root causes of the conflict" rather than a ceasefire, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on May 15.

From left, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz make a call to U.S. President Donald Trump from Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Mstyslav Chernov)

Starmer says Putin must ‘pay the price’ for delaying peace ahead of talks with European leaders. Sir Keir Starmer and European leaders will talk about how to ramp up pressure on Russia on Friday, as the Prime Minister said Vladimir Putin must “pay the price for avoiding peace” in Ukraine.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of "dragging his feet" and obstructing peace efforts in Ukraine after Putin declined to attend face-to-face talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Turkey,

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said that Kyiv would meet with Moscow for talks in Istanbul on May 15 but said that Russia must first commit to a 30-day ceasefire starting on Monday.

US President's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will arrive in Istanbul, Türkiye, on Friday, May 16, reports The Guardian. As the outlet reports, Witkoff told journalists that he and Rubio will head to Istanbul on Friday for talks regarding Russia and Ukraine.

Moscow thinks it’s winning in Ukraine and can play hardball diplomatically. Washington sees costly, incremental gains and an unrealistic negotiating position.