A Ukrainian official, who decided not to reveal his name, stated that Russia sent a "fictitious delegation" to the peace talks in Istanbul. He emphasized that without decisive and painful steps, Russia cannot be forced to engage in real negotiations, reports The Telegraph, writes UNN.
Details
I think that the Russian delegation was fictitious, without any real intention to negotiate, except to repeat their demands and explore whether Ukraine is ready to make more concessions
He added that despite the good statements from the Europeans, only real steps can change Russia's approach and force it to agree to real negotiations.
It is good that we have good statements from the Europeans, but without decisive and painful steps, we will not force Russia to agree to real negotiations
Addition
During the negotiations in Istanbul, the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, tried to put pressure on the Ukrainian delegates by quoting Otto von Bismarck and Napoleon Bonaparte. However, both historical figures never said what Medinsky attributed to them, said the head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation, Andriy Kovalenko.
A Turkish official stated that Friday's talks between Ukraine and Russia were "more positive than expected", a few hours after the meeting in Istanbul ended.