Zelenskyy of Ukraine arrives in Türkiye to hold talks with the Russian delegation sent by Putin Nohow Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his aides and deputy minister to hold peace talks with Ukraine in Turkey on Thursday, this time inciting face-to-face challenges in Kyiv to go there in person to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Putin proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul last weekend, and Zelenskyy had said he would wait for Kremlin leaders.
But a few days after the world speculated Putin's plan, the Kremlin later on Wednesday named a low-level delegation that excluded the president, which Kiev's European allies described as a repression.
Zelenskyy's plane landed at the Esenboga airport in Ankara, where he planned to meet Erdogan. He said that after meeting with the Turkish president, Ukraine will decide on the next step in its talks with Russia.
Zelenskiy told reporters that the level of the Russian delegation was listed in Türkiye for speeches, which was “decorative”.
Putin's unshowed fell into a chaotic prospect. Russia said they will be held in Istanbul in the second half of the day, but Türkiye said it has not yet met.
“We need to understand what the level of the Russian delegation is, and what missions they have and whether they can make any decisions,” Zelenskyy said.
Washington watches closely
Zelenskiy had questioned earlier this week whether he showed up bravely to greet Putin. The Kremlin said Putin was also threatened by stricter European sanctions to “suffocate” Russia's economy – without responding to the last reflex.
The Russian delegation named by the Kremlin is led by Presidential Advisor Vladimir Medinsky, which includes a deputy defense minister, deputy foreign minister and head of the GRU military intelligence agency.
The Kremlin said Putin held a late-night meeting with the minister, military commander and spy chief to discuss the upcoming talks.
The warring side last held face-to-face talks in March 2022, just weeks after Putin sent troops into Ukraine, and also held in Türkiye.
Both sides try to show us President Donald Trump, who is serious about peace because he oppressed them to end what he called “this stupid war.” Washington has repeatedly threatened to abandon its diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict unless there is obvious progress.
Both sides have been killed and injured in the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II. Unless there is clear progress, Washington has repeatedly threatened to give up mediation efforts.
Trump has grown impatient with Putin in recent weeks and threatened additional sanctions on Russian trade after Ukraine relied heavily on Ukraine and clashed with Zelenskyy in February.
Trump said on Thursday that he would attend Turkey's talks on Friday “if appropriate.”
Zelenskyy immediately withdrew from the 30-day ceasefire, but Putin said he wanted to start negotiations first and could discuss the details of such a truce.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a NATO meeting in Turkey that there is no military solution and that Trump is open to “almost any mechanism” that will lead to peace.
Ukraine seeks security assurance
As Russian forces control one-fifth of Ukraine, Putin has been holding on to his long-term demands for Kiev's cedes territory, abandoning his NATO member ambitions and becoming a neutral country.
Ukraine refuses to regard these terms as surrender and seeks to ensure its security for the future of the world's powers, especially the United States.
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French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Zelenskyy's coming to Türkiye showed his sincerity, but Putin should be sitting there.
“Putin is stagnating and obviously does not want to participate in these peace talks, even if President Trump expresses his availability and desire to facilitate these negotiations,” he said.
Estonia, a member of the EU and NATO bordering Russia, said Putin gave a “slap in the face” by sending a low-level team.
Estonia stressed the level of tension between the Russian and US-led coalition, saying Russian fighters “violated NATO territory” as Estonian Navy attempted to detain tankers encountered by Russia under British sanctions.
