Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva joined the chorus of voices piling pressure on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to personally attend proposed peace talks with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in Turkey.

However, in the early hours of May 15, the Russian president’s name was not included in the Kremlin's official list of attendees to the talks, which were just hours away from kicking off at the time of writing.

Instead, several deputy ministers will be leading the Russian delegation.

"The Russian delegation is represented exclusively by professionals, therefore Russia is ready for a specific, meaningful, and productive conversation. There is absolutely no way there will be a-la Zelensky shows," Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Chairman of the upper chamber of the Russian Parliament, wrote on Telegram.

Lula’s last-minute call to Putin came as international pressure builds for direct negotiations to end the three-year conflict, and his phone call occurred during his stopover in Moscow while returning from his state visit to China, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

"When I get to Moscow, I'm going to try to talk to Putin. It won't cost me anything to say, 'Hey, comrade Putin, go to Istanbul and negotiate," Lula was quoted as telling journalists before departing China.

The Kremlin confirmed the conversation, with Putin expressing "gratitude for efforts to find ways to resolve the conflict," though it made no mention of discussions about his potential travel to Istanbul, AFP reported.

According to the Kremlin, Lula "intends to do everything in his power to ensure the success" of the peace talks.

The proposal to restart direct negotiations "without preconditions" in Istanbul was Putin’s, a counter-offer after Kyiv and European leaders called for a 30-day full and unconditional ceasefire.

Ukraine's Zelensky then challenged Putin to meet in Turkey personally.

As pressure intensifies, US President Donald Trump, while visiting the Middle East, also offered to attend the talks in Turkey, but only if Putin participates.

Putin thanked both Brazil and China for their peace efforts, expressing gratitude for "their sincere willingness to provide constructive solutions."

Meanwhile, Lula shared impressions from his China visit, emphasising bilateral support for Putin's initiative to resume direct talks on May 15.

The Brazilian leader has maintained close ties with Putin despite Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a position that has strained relations with Kyiv and drawn Western criticism. During his recent Moscow visit for Victory Day celebrations, he appealed for a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine.

Turkey has confirmed its willingness to host talks, though the Kremlin had kept the composition of its delegation secret until the early hours of May 15, while Zelensky was already on his way to Istanbul.