Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg will travel to Istanbul on Thursday for possible negotiations between Russia and Ukraine

Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, senior envoys of U.S. President Donald Trump, are set to travel to Istanbul on Thursday to attend potential negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.

While the participation of Trump himself remains uncertain, a senior official told CNN that his involvement would largely depend on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin agrees to attend. “It is all very dynamic right now,” the official said, noting that “no one knows much” about how the situation will unfold on Thursday.

Regardless of Trump’s personal attendance, both Witkoff and Kellogg, his representatives for Ukraine and the Middle East, are expected to be present in Istanbul. Their role will be to observe any possible discussions between Ukrainian and Russian representatives, with Türkiye acting as a mediator.

Russia intensifies assaults near the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast border

Russian forces are intensifying their offensive operations in southern Ukraine in an effort to reach the administrative border of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, according to Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces. Although ground incursions into Dnipropetrovsk have not yet occurred, the region—an important industrial and logistical center—is facing increasing threats from Russian artillery, kamikaze drones, guided bombs, and missiles.

Voloshyn noted that the Novopavlivka direction is currently the most active zone on the southern front, with 24 combat engagements recently recorded. He described the area as “the most mobile,” with four Russian regiments deploying concentrated assault forces. Russian troops are reportedly attempting to push toward the border area shared by Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, using small assault groups and relentless shelling to test and pressure Ukrainian defenses.

In response to the escalating threat, Ukrainian authorities began mandatory evacuations on April 28 for families with children from four frontline villages: Kolona Mezhova, Novopidhorodne, Raipole, and Sukhareva Balka. These settlements, located just 5 to 15 kilometers from Russian positions, remain vulnerable to indirect fire. While Russian forces have not yet crossed into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the region has endured repeated missile and drone attacks, causing civilian casualties and damage to vital infrastructure. Novopavlivka, the focal point of current clashes, sits approximately 130 kilometers southeast of the city of Dnipro, near the intersection of three oblasts.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov - Russian media

According to the Russian media, most likely, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov will lead a Russian delegation to Istanbul for direct peace talks with Ukraine, as announced by Russian sources. This follows President Vladimir Putin’s May 11 proposal to resume negotiations without preconditions, building on the 2022 Istanbul talks while accounting for the current battlefield situation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed his attendance, signaling a rare opportunity for high-level dialogue. However, Russia’s insistence on terms like Ukrainian neutrality and recognition of annexed territories, coupled with its rejection of a 30-day ceasefire proposed by Ukraine and its allies, casts doubt on the prospects for a breakthrough.

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