Ukraine’s president confirmed on Thursday that he has agreed to send the delegation to Istanbul for lower-level talks with Russia’s representatives, but he will not be present there himself.
After the meeting with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he agreed to Ukraine’s participation in the talks with Moscow’s team out of respect to the leaders of the US and Turkey, as well as the clear demonstration of Ukraine’s willingness to put an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
"Out of respect for President Trump, the high level of the Turkish delegation, and President Erdogan, and since we want to try to achieve at least the first steps toward de-escalation, an end to the war – namely a ceasefire – I have decided to send our delegation to Istanbul," Zelensky said.
Kyiv’s delegation will be led by Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, Zelenskyy said, despite the fact that Umerov's Russian counterpart will not be present.
Upon his arrival in Ankara, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is represented in Turkey at the highest level, with the foreign ministry, the presidential office, the military, and the intelligence "to make any decisions that might lead to the expected and just peace."
But that is not the case for the Russian delegation, he said, describing it as "theatrical".
"We must understand what is the level of the Russian delegation, and what mandate do they have, whether they are capable of taking any decisions on their own."
"Because we all know who takes decisions in Russia," Zelenskyy said, pointing at Russian President Vladimir Putin, who refused to face Zelenskyy in person in Istanbul.
The Kremlin has ruled out Putin's trip to Turkey, revealing that the negotiations will instead be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. Medinsky also headed Moscow’s delegation in Istanbul in March 2022, at the first attempt at talks between the sides.
Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said earlier this week that Zelenskyy would not meet with lower-level Russian officials in Istanbul if Putin doesn’t come to Turkey, saying there would be no point in such negotiations.
