Ukraine seeks direct talks at Istanbul summit
The Ukrainian side wants to discuss a direct meeting between President Zelensky and Putin in Istanbul. A Ukrainian diplomatic source indicates why this is important for them.
A Ukrainian diplomatic source informed the AFP agency that the Ukrainian delegation hopes to be able to discuss a direct meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Istanbul.
The source mentioned that since we realize that he (Putin) is the only person making decisions, the Ukrainian delegation's action plan will also include the potential arrangement of a meeting between Zelensky and Putin.
Talks in Istanbul
On Friday, the heads of diplomacy from the USA, Ukraine, and Turkey—Marco Rubio, Andrii Sybiha, and Hakan Fidan—participated in talks lasting about one hour in Istanbul regarding the war in Ukraine.
At the next meeting on Friday, representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey are expected to participate. The Ukrainian side reported that Defence Minister Rustem Umerov would lead their team. Putin's advisor, Vladimir Medinsky, will head the Russian delegation.
For a while, it seemed possible that Putin and Zelensky would personally discuss the negotiations in Turkey. The Ukrainian president was ready for such a meeting, but the Russian dictator decided not to come to Istanbul.
