Zelensky: I may not meet with Putin if the delegations agree on a ceasefire
If the Ukrainian and Russian delegations at the talks in Istanbul manage to agree on a ceasefire, the meeting with dictator Vladimir Putin can be skipped. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a press conference in Ankara.
"He may not meet, but simply say: 'Okay, there will be a ceasefire. There were attempts at Easter. We didn't meet or even agree on anything - he just said so," Zelensky said .
He also said that Putin does not respect not only Ukrainians, but also the United States and Turkey. The president noted that America sent Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Turkey , The foreign ministers of Turkey, Hakan Fidan, and Ukraine Andriy Sybiga.
"Where are the relevant representatives in Istanbul from Russia? "The 'leader of the Kremlin' must demonstrate his 'leadership', and if he wants to achieve peace, he must meet with representatives of Ukraine," Zelenskyy emphasized .
At the same time, he said that if the technical groups of the two sides can agree on an unconditional ceasefire, a meeting between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia can be avoided .
- on May 11, Putin offered Ukraine to resume direct talks on May 15 in Istanbul without preconditions. Trump called it "a potentially great day for Ukraine and Russia.".
- Later, Zelenskyy said he was ready to meet Putin in Istanbul and would wait for him there. On May 13, President confirmed his visit to Turkey and announced talks with Erdogan.
- In Britain, they noted that Russia sent "low-level" representatives to Turkey for talks. And Zelenskyy himself called the level of the Russian delegation in Turkey "sham.".
- On May 15, Zelenskyy and Erdogan met in Turkey. Their talks lasted almost three hours.
