Diplomatic Ballet: High-Stakes Talks Amid Absent Envoy

Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy, will miss meetings with U.S., Turkish, and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul. Dmitriev previously engaged in fruitful talks with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in October. Concurrently, Witkoff plans to join discussions in Turkey with Ukrainian President Zelenskiy.

In a surprising turn of diplomatic events, Kirill Dmitriev, the special envoy representing Russian President Vladimir Putin, is not scheduled to participate in the upcoming talks with U.S., Turkish, and Ukrainian representatives in Istanbul on November 19.

Sources close to Dmitriev confirmed his absence, highlighting the significant dialogues he conducted with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in late October. These discussions marked a productive engagement between the Russian representative and U.S. officials.

Meanwhile, in a parallel development, U.S. envoy Witkoff is set to visit Turkey, where he will partake in a series of meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, furthering diplomatic conversations in the region.

(With inputs from agencies.)