Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that he will not personally attend the negotiations in Istanbul involving the Russian side. He made this statement during a press conference following his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, reports the national portal “Adyrna.”
According to the information, Zelensky said that he would send a delegation led by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to the talks. He emphasized that the delegation has been given full authority to discuss a ceasefire. Zelensky also reiterated his readiness to engage in direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Not in Ankara, not in Istanbul. We’re not going to keep traveling the world looking for him,” Zelensky said.
According to him, the Russian side is sending a low-level delegation to the talks, which he views as a sign of disinterest in peace and disrespect toward international partners.
“Today, once again, Russia has shown it is not interested in ending the war. Such a delegation reflects a lack of respect for peace and for international partners. We now expect a clear and strong reaction from our partners,” Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel.
Earlier, the Kremlin had announced that it would send a delegation to the Istanbul talks led by Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. President Vladimir Putin had previously stated he would not attend.
Additionally, former U.S. President Donald Trump also announced that he would not participate in the talks. Zelensky had previously expressed hope that Trump would take part.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he is ready to personally meet with both Putin and Zelensky during the Istanbul negotiations. However, no concrete agreement from either side has been confirmed at this stage.
