Negotiations in Turkey: what is known about a possible meeting between Zelensky and Putin
Kyiv • UNN
Zelensky said he was ready to meet with Putin in Turkey for negotiations on a ceasefire. If Putin refuses, Ukraine will insist on strengthening sanctions against Russia.
The attention of the entire civilized world is focused on Turkey, where direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are to take place. Despite doubts that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will attend the talks, which he himself proposed, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated his readiness to hold such a meeting, noting that he will only speak to the president of Russia. What to expect tomorrow, May 15, the correspondent of UNN tried to figure out.
What Volodymyr Zelenskyy expects
Zelenskyy said he was ready to meet with Russian dictator Putin in Ankara or Istanbul. He noted that if Putin arrives, he will do everything to agree on a ceasefire. He noted that there is already an agreement with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
We have discussed with Erdogan that I will have a meeting with him in the capital of Turkey - Ankara. It will be on Thursday, May 15. We will wait for a meeting with Putin in Turkey so that Russia does not manipulate cities and does not say that Putin is not ready to fly to Ankara, but is ready to fly only to Istanbul, I immediately want to say that if Putin arrives in Istanbul, and not the capital, I sent a signal to Erdogan and the Turkish side is ready that Erdogan and I will fly to Istanbul
At the same time, Zelenskyy stressed that the primary subject of negotiations will be a ceasefire. Only this will make it possible to discuss all other elements of ending the war. He also stressed that only after the political will of the leaders is there any point in negotiations in the format of working groups.
If today Putin says "I don't want to", again there may be a billion reasons - first he wanted to, then he realized that I was ready - he doesn't want to anymore. But if there is a step, if he says he wants a ceasefire, then this will be the way to discuss all other elements of ending the war
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also added that if Putin does not arrive in Turkey, sanctions against the Russian Federation should be strengthened. In particular, the 17th package, which is currently being considered by the European Union.
I believe that this means that there will be no result in one format or another, any meetings, etc. Everything has gone deep enough in the issue of a ceasefire
For his part, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, and his advisor, Mykhailo Podolyak, noted that only a meeting between President Zelenskyy and Putin directly would make sense. In all other cases, the situation of 2022 will simply be repeated - Russia will only present another ultimatum. In particular, Yermak noted that Russia is not demonstrating the political will to cease fire.
"Russia has not yet demonstrated the political will to establish a ceasefire regime and end the war," Yermak said.
What they say in the Russian Federation
For their part, Russia's statements regarding negotiations with Ukraine in Turkey look extremely suspicious. As of now, the aggressor country has not confirmed the direct participation of Russian dictator Putin in the meeting with the Ukrainian delegation.
"Nothing has changed in this regard. We will do everything when we receive the relevant instructions from the president. There have been no such instructions yet. But I can confirm everything that the president said. The Russian delegation will wait for the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul on May 15, Thursday. That is, tomorrow," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
This is not the first time that the Russian side has evaded a direct answer on this issue.
Peskov repeated only vague theses that US President Donald Trump can use his enormous influence on Ukraine to "force it to get closer to the idea of negotiations." According to him, Kyiv is not ready for this.
"Putin supported the ceasefire, but on the condition that the Russian army is confidently advancing on the front, the supply of Western weapons should be stopped during the truce, as well as the training of the personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, otherwise this period will give Ukraine an advantage," Peskov said.
It is also worth paying attention to the fact that, unlike the Ukrainian president, Putin did not personally comment on his presence or absence at the negotiations in Turkey. The Washington Post wrote that Russia will be represented at the negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul by Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov and Russian dictator Putin's aide on foreign policy Yuriy Ushakov.
What partners expect
The US State Department believes that negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul could bring the parties closer to a ceasefire and the establishment of a lasting peace. According to US State Department Speaker Tommy Pigott, this meeting could be decisive.
As the president (Donald Trump - ed.) said, this is a critical opportunity to try to achieve a ceasefire and try to achieve a lasting peace. The president has made it clear that he wants these direct talks to take place
President of the United States Donald Trump said that the American delegation will participate in the meeting. It will be headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
I really hope that there will be negotiations on Thursday, and there are already first results. Our people will go there. Marco Rubio will go there. We really hope that we can do something
At the same time, President Trump himself, despite his constant statements that Putin can be dealt with, said on Wednesday that he does not know whether the Russian dictator will appear at the talks in Turkey.
"He would like me to be there, and that's possible. I don't know if he will be there if I'm not there. We're going to find out," Trump told reporters traveling aboard Air Force One to Qatar, Reuters reports.
According to the publication, Donald Trump stated that he may visit Turkey for negotiations as part of his trip to the Middle East this week.
The United States also expressed hope that President Putin will participate in possible peace talks in Istanbul. Reuters previously reported that Washington does not expect Moscow to announce plans to participate in talks in Turkey until Thursday.
As for European leaders, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday, May 13, that the EU is ready for tougher sanctions against Russia if no progress is made this week in ending the war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy is ready for negotiations.
It seems that the Russians intend to keep all civilized countries, including our state, in tension. Most likely, only tomorrow we will find out who Russia will send to Istanbul and how serious it is.
In the event that Putin once again refuses direct negotiations, there is hope that the leaders of some countries will finally realize that the Russian dictator is pursuing only one goal - to destroy Ukraine.
