Putin won’t attend Ukraine peace talks in Turkey: Unbiased Updates, May 15, 2025
As Russia and Ukraine prepare for talks in Turkey, President Vladimir Putin, who proposed the meeting, will send delegates instead. Also, a top Iranian official outlines conditions for an immediate nuclear deal with the U.S. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, May 15, 2025.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend Ukraine peace talks in Turkey
Russia and Ukraine will hold peace talks on Thursday, May 15, in Turkey; however, Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend. Despite being Putin’s idea, the Kremlin has confirmed that he will not attend the face-to-face talks in Istanbul, Turkey, regarding discussions on ending the war in Ukraine, which has now entered its fourth year.
Putin met with senior Russian government officials overnight before sending a low-level delegation to Turkey for the talks. That delegation includes former Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky, who took part in the failed 2022 peace talks.
The exact timing of the talks remains uncertain. Although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy went to Turkey for in-person discussions, a Ukrainian official has stated that Zelenskyy will first meet with Turkey’s president in Ankara before he “decides on the next steps.”
While in Qatar, President Donald Trump commented on Putin’s absence, saying, “I didn’t think it was possible for Putin to go if I’m not there.”
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Istanbul as NATO ministers meet to discuss ways to “step up” collective security. Rubio will participate in the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine on Friday, May 16.
“I will say this and I will repeat it, that there is no military solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This war is going to end not through a military solution, but through a diplomatic one,” Rubio said. “And the sooner an agreement can be reached on ending this war, the less people will die and the less destruction there will be. And ultimately, that’s what the president’s goal is.”
Ahead of the NATO meeting, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the U.S. and Europe have taken steps to further sanctions on Russia’s energy and financial sectors.
Trump could take a detour on Middle East trip to join peace talks in Turkey.
As Russia and Ukraine prepare to meet for peace talks, there’s a chance Trump will make an unplanned stop in Turkey to attend the meeting, according to a post on X from Zelenskyy.
“We also hear that President Trump is considering attending the meeting in Türkiye. That could become the strongest argument. This week really may change a lot — but only may. Everything is being decided right now,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy arrived in Turkey early Thursday morning.
While speaking to reporters in Qatar this morning, Trump added he would go to Istanbul on Friday “if it was appropriate.” Trump spoke to American troops in Qatar on Thursday morning, as part of the final leg of his international trip. Afterward, he’s off to the United Arab Emirates.
So far during the trip, Trump has made a diplomatic breakthrough with Syria’s new government, dropping sanctions against the country and meeting with its new leader. The president has also strengthened ties with Saudi Arabia, brokering some multibillion-dollar deals for the U.S.
Top Iranian official lays out conditions for immediate nuclear deal with US
Iran announced it would sign a nuclear deal with President Donald Trump, subject to certain conditions. In an interview with NBC News on Wednesday, May 14, a top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader said that in exchange for Trump immediately lifting all economic sanctions on Iran, the country would commit to never making nuclear weapons.
The officials said the country would also eliminate its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, which can be weaponized. The nation would also only continue to enrich uranium at lower levels for civilian use and allow international inspectors to supervise the process.
Trump has repeatedly said Iran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, but might be allowed to import low levels of uranium for use as fuel.
While Iran denies even wanting to, the International Atomic Energy Agency said that the country has enriched enough uranium to create six nuclear bombs. The U.S. and Iran have held talks over Tehran’s nuclear program for weeks but have not reached any stated agreement.
House GOP moves Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ forward after all-nighter
In Washington, Republicans have pushed forward with the so-called “big, beautiful budget bill” that Trump has supported.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee debated for more than 24 hours before advancing the part of the bill that includes $880 billion in cuts. Some House members had fought for a lower figure of about $600 billion. The bill includes large cuts to Medicaid and health care.
The House Agriculture Committee also approved a portion of the bill that would slash spending by $230 billion. A key component includes cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. The measure would raise the age limit for able-bodied adult recipients without children from 54 to 64.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has set a deadline for the budget’s approval by Memorial Day weekend. Overall, the bill aims to cut $1.5 trillion in spending reductions to make the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent.
As it stands now, the bill includes Trump’s campaign promise of no tax on tips and no tax on overtime pay.
Once the House passes it, the bill heads to the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority. Changes are likely regarding the Medicaid funding cuts and potentially increasing the SALT deduction cap. This change would enable individuals residing in high-tax blue states to increase their write-off of state and local taxes. The current limit is $10,000; some blue state Congress members have advocated for that deduction to be raised to $30,000.
RFK Jr. says people should not take medical advice from him
The nation’s top health official informed Congress on Wednesday, May 14, that Americans should not heed his advice.
“I don’t think people should be taking advice, medical advice from me,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wisc.
Kennedy’s comment came during a House Appropriations Committee hearing as Democratic lawmakers pressed the health secretary about his stance on vaccines. While Kennedy said he would “Probably” vaccinate his own kids against measles, he refused to answer whether he’d embrace the polio or chicken pox vaccine.
Kennedy has long been a vaccine skeptic, a fact that has led to controversy over whether he should lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
Harvard uncovers it has extremely rare Magna Carta
Harvard University discovered that it held a rare 13th-century version of the Magna Carta in its possession.
For years, the university believed it had only a cheap copy of the Magna Carta in its collection, which was a faded document that the university purchased for less than $30. Established in 1215, the Magna Carta stipulated that the king was subject to the law of the land. It served as the foundation for many constitutions worldwide.
While browsing the Harvard Law School library, Professor David Carpenter discovered the digitized document. He collaborated with a professor of medieval history in Britain to verify the authenticity of the document held by Harvard by comparing it to six copies from 1300. The British expert confirmed that the dimensions matched.
And voilà, the copy that the Harvard Law School library purchased in 1946 from a London book dealer for $27.50 is an actual copy of the Magna Carta and not just a knockoff.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
