Putin shuns Istanbul peace talks amid Zelensky meeting offer
According to media reports, Vladimir Putin will not be flying to Istanbul, where the next round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations is due to take place. Earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his willingness to meet with the Russian leader in Turkey. "Putin is afraid of negotiating with me," assessed the President of Ukraine.
This information regarding Putin's plans was reported by the independent Russian portal Gulagu.net. The journalists cited information from Vladimir Putin's Federal Protective Service, confirming that "the president's security service does not plan a visit to Turkey."
Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolak stated that President Volodymyr Zelensky will engage in talks to halt the fighting solely with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and no one else.
"Putin is afraid of negotiating with me," Zelensky declared on Tuesday.
"I have repeatedly told President Trump: I believe that Putin does not want to end the war, does not want a ceasefire, does not want any negotiations," the Ukrainian president added.
Putin "surprised." EC on Zelensky's proposal
European Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho suggested on Tuesday that Vladimir Putin might be surprised by Volodymyr Zelensky's readiness for a personal meeting.
When asked whether Zelensky is considering meeting with another Russian representative in the absence of Putin at the talks in Istanbul, Podolak replied briefly: "Of course not. That is not the format."
On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced that he is considering attending the Russian-Ukrainian talks in Turkey on Thursday. He suggested that Vladimir Putin might also appear in Istanbul and stated that he would fly in if "it proves to be helpful."
