Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated that he is ready for negotiations scheduled to take place in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 15. However, it remains unclear who exactly will participate from the Russian side.
In his latest statement, Zelensky criticized the Russian side's attitude towards the negotiations, complaining about their lack of a clear and firm response.
“Right now, the whole world is waiting for a simple 'yes' from Russian President Vladimir Putin, indicating his willingness to engage in direct negotiations. However, at the same time, Russia continues to carry out strikes against Ukraine. There is no military logic to such actions; they are merely aimed at prolonging the war,” Zelensky stated in his remarks.
The Ukrainian president expressed concern that Russia has not yet clearly confirmed who will participate in the meeting in Turkey. He noted that the information being disseminated through media close to the Kremlin is currently unreliable and consists of various interpreted signals.
“Right now, I am waiting for clarification from Russia on who will participate. This is very important. Only then can we determine our next steps. Until we have sufficiently reliable and officially confirmed information from Russia, we will refrain from drawing any conclusions,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky also mentioned the possibility of U.S. President Donald Trump participating in the negotiations taking place in Turkey. Previously, high-level U.S. officials, including special envoy Kit Kellogg and President Trump himself, had indicated that they might participate in these negotiations.
“We are open to any format for negotiations and are not afraid of it. We will clearly and firmly state our position and opinion in the meetings starting tomorrow in Turkey,” Zelensky emphasized.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced that the format of the negotiations has not yet been determined. This meeting will be the first direct communication between Moscow and Kyiv since the negotiations to cease hostilities in the spring of 2022.
While the international community's attention is focused on tomorrow's meeting, it remains unknown how Russia will respond. Ukraine has firmly stated that it is ready to seize any opportunity for peace.
