Zelensky is ready for negotiations in Turkey: What will Russia’s response be?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky once again emphasized his readiness for the negotiations planned to be held in the Turkish city of Istanbul on May 15. However, the matter of who exactly will participate from the Russian side remains unclear.

In his latest speech, Zelensky criticized Russia’s approach to the negotiations and complained 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 confirming his consent to direct negotiations. But even at this time, Russia continues to launch strikes against Ukraine. These actions have no military logic; they are only aimed at prolonging the war,” Zelensky said in his statement.

The President of Ukraine expressed concern that Russia has still not clearly confirmed who will participate in the meeting in Turkey. According to him, the information being spread through media outlets close to the Kremlin is currently unreliable and consists of signals that are being interpreted in various ways.

“Right now, I am waiting for the Russian side to clarify who will participate. This is very important. Only after that will we be able to determine our next steps. Until we receive sufficiently reliable and officially confirmed information from the Russian side, we will refrain from drawing any conclusions,” Zelensky said.

Zelensky also mentioned the possibility that U.S. President Donald Trump might participate in the negotiations in Turkey. Earlier, high-ranking U.S. representatives, including special envoy Keith Kellogg and President Trump himself, had indicated that they might take part in these talks.

“We are open to any format of negotiations and are not afraid of it. Tomorrow, at the meetings in Turkey, we will clearly and firmly express our position and views,” Zelensky emphasized.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, meanwhile, stated that the format of the negotiations has still not been determined. This meeting will be the first direct dialogue between Moscow and Kyiv since the ceasefire negotiations in the spring of 2022.

While the attention of the international community is focused on tomorrow’s meeting, it is still unknown how the Russian side will respond. Ukraine, however, has firmly declared its readiness to take advantage of any opportunity for peace. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!