Without powerful military and sanctions pressure on the Kremlin, there will be no real breakthrough in negotiations. At the same time, the Istanbul format plays an important humanitarian role and prepares the ground for future negotiations at the level of leaders. Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine, wrote about this on Telegram, as reported by UNN.
A real breakthrough in negotiations with Russia will not happen until the Kremlin feels powerful sanctions and military coercion.
According to Podolyak, this is "clearly understood by our American and European partners." Therefore, now, as he emphasizes, the focus is on increasing pressure on the Russian Federation in parallel with expanding Ukraine's capabilities to strike enemy military targets on its territory.
However, the Istanbul format has important and specific goals. The first is the exchange of prisoners. The two previous rounds made it possible to significantly increase the number of released Ukrainians, including civilians. The second is the return of deported children. This humanitarian mission should be a key point of discussion. The third is the preparation of future negotiations at the level of leaders.
He emphasized that only one person makes final decisions in the Kremlin, referring to Putin. Therefore, ending the war is possible only with the direct participation of the leaders of the two states.
Istanbul is another step towards realistic solutions, and the Ukrainian delegation will work precisely for such a result.
As UNN learned from its own sources, a delegation from Ukraine arrived in Turkey for negotiations with Russia.
Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia will take place in Istanbul around 7:00 PM.