Vladimir Putin made the world wait before dispatching a four-strong delegation to Turkey for peace talks with Ukraine.

Who is Russian President Vladimir Putin sending to the peace talks with Ukraine that the Kremlin chief himself proposed?

Turkey’s recent policies in Syria are emblematic of the way a middle power can exert influence in its region, sometimes outmaneuvering seemingly stronger players. Throughout Syria’s civil war, which began in 2011,

President Donald Trump has repeatedly floated the possibility of scrapping his Middle East travel schedule and adding a stop to personally mediate Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Turkey.

The talks in Istanbul complicated a European push for the U.S. to pressure Russia an into a ceasefire in Ukraine, even as questions persist on who is attending.