Even if Putin directly refuses the meeting, Zelensky will still go to Turkey.
The head of the administration of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, Andriy Yermak. In an interview given to France's Le Monde this morning – May 14, he said, "President Zelensky will go to Turkey. Even if Putin directly refuses the meeting. This will be a clear signal to the whole world: Moscow does not want peace and is not ready for serious negotiations," he said.
We remind you, on the night of May 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the possibility of Russia-Ukraine negotiations in Istanbul on May 15. A few hours before that, in Kyiv, Zelensky and the leaders of four European countries had demanded from Moscow to cease fire unconditionally for at least 30 days.
In his statement, Putin mentioned that the issue of ceasing fire could be discussed at the Istanbul negotiations. However, it has still not been announced by Russia who will participate in these negotiations. Zelensky, however, is demanding a face-to-face meeting specifically with Putin.
"We hope that our strategic partner – the USA, will maintain its role and participation in this process," Yermak said. "We are thankful to the US special representative Steve Witkoff for understanding that constructive dialogue and cessation of hostilities – is a logical step. We also thank President Trump: he made it clear – if Putin does not want peace, Ukraine will receive more help than it envisioned."
Previously, Zelensky had stated that if Putin does not attend the meeting, he would not meet with the Russian delegation. The Ukrainian delegation also indicated that without Putin's participation, the negotiations would not be effective, merely focusing on minor technical issues.
Abdulloh Sayyid
