Zelensky and Putin set for potential showdown in Turkey
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has announced that he will be awaiting Vladimir Putin in Turkey on 15th May. Is this meeting with the President of Russia a threat to Ukraine and Europe?
Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that he will travel to Turkey on 15 May to meet with Vladimir Putin for direct negotiations. Donald Trump has also suggested that he might attend, but only if Putin is present.
Zelensky emphasised that he is prepared to visit any city in Turkey should Putin choose not to travel to Ankara. Everything now hinges on the Russian president's decision.
The independent Russian portal Meduza stresses that this situation poses a threat to Ukraine and Europe.
At the turn of March and April, following the stagnation of talks in Riyadh and Russia's intensification of bombardments on Ukrainian cities, Trump threatened the Kremlin with severe measures but subsequently sent his chief negotiator, Steve Witkoff, to Russia. However, there were no results at that time.
European ultimatum on the war
On 10th May, four European leaders - Macron, Starmer, Merz, and Tusk - unexpectedly arrived in Kyiv, presenting Russia with an ultimatum demanding an immediate 30-day ceasefire.
Two days earlier, Trump posted a message in which the USA called for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, threatening further sanctions if it was not respected.
There are two possible scenarios for peace negotiations. The first assumes that the parties agree on the terms for ending hostilities with the mediation of a third party, followed by the signing of a ceasefire agreement. The second scenario envisions a ceasefire as the initial step, after which the parties negotiate under quieter conditions.
In response to Zelensky's ultimatum and the European leaders' stance, Putin reacted on the night of 11th May by proposing direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul. European leaders stressed that negotiations only make sense in the context of a ceasefire.
The journalists of Meduza questioned the purpose of initiating a new round of talks if the Kremlin plans to insist on its maximalist demands, which Kyiv views as a form of capitulation.
The ministerial talks will likely fail if Putin does not travel to Istanbul. However, if Putin decides to attend, it will be a warning signal for Ukraine and Europe. Zelensky will have limited manoeuvring space if Putin and Trump arrive with an agreement that Trump insists he sign.
On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that Russia will declare who will attend the planned peace talks in Turkey "as soon as the president deems it necessary."
