Turkey has always been a pivotal place, the axis between West and East that has been the stage for historic contests embellished with each retelling. It is littered with the relics of fallen civilisations and has seen empires rise and fall.
Not only are the marks of ancient battles visible today, modern Turkey remains a theatre for world-shaping drama. At least that was the plan, as Vladimir Putin proposed a momentous meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy that could have paved the way to a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Such an encounter would certainly have been consequential as the first direct Ukraine-Russia talks since soon after the invasion in 2022. Trump was quick to promote the heavyweight fixture, eager to be involved in whatever might go down. And Zelenskyy was game, saying he would be "waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally."
But as the mythical showdown loomed and specifics were left unanswered, we instead saw a pitiful no-show as Putin pulled out of proceedings. The hype dissolved in an instant, with Trump counting himself out (his presence was never more than a big question mark) and Zelenskyy left deflated on the airfield in Ankara, wondering whether there is even any point engaging with the "decorative" Russian delegation.
Doubt had been cast over the meeting from the outset, with EU officials taunting that Putin would be too chicken to face up to Zelenskyy. And though their suspicions have come to pass, nobody is cheering.
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