Negotiations in Istanbul: Zelenskyy insists on direct dialog with Putin
13 May 12:23
During possible talks in Istanbul, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ready to talk only with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. This was stated by the adviser to the head of the Presidential Office, Mykhailo Podolyak, according to
Podolyak was asked how Zelenskyy would act if Putin did not come to the talks and whether he could meet with someone other than Putin from the Russian side.
“No, of course not. This is not the format. The president cannot meet… especially Medinsky – his status will be unclear… Well, this person is hardly qualified to discuss fundamental issues,” Podoliak replied.
He noted that the structure of power in Russia is already obvious to everyone, and that even Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov or Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin are unlikely to be authorized to make certain decisions.
“That is, only Putin can decide to continue or end the war. Well, maybe there is a small circle around him that discusses how many more people to kill,” Podolyak said.
According to him, the design of the negotiation process in Istanbul is obvious: there is a person who makes decisions on behalf of Ukraine and a person who makes decisions on behalf of Russia. Everything else is a formal presence without results.
“This is again a delay in time. What is the point of holding a meeting at a lower level,” Podolyak said.
As reported by
Putin wants talks in Istanbul
On May 10, an important meeting of the “coalition of the resolute” took place in Kyiv: Volodymyr Zelenskyy hosted French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, and Poland, Donald Tusk.
After the meeting, the leaders had a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump. As a result, Ukraine announced its readiness for a ceasefire for at least 30 days, starting on May 12. Europe warned Moscow that if it refused, Russia would face new sanctions.
However, Putin effectively ignored this proposal. At a nightly press conference, he called for the resumption of direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15 without any conditions.
Putin said he would discuss this with Turkish President Recep Erdogan on May 11. As the Russian Federation later stated, these are supposed to be negotiations taking into account the 2022 talks and the situation on the ground.
In response, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was ready for dialogue only after a full and comprehensive ceasefire.
