Zelenskyy skips Ukraine’s Istanbul peace talks and sends a delegation led by the defense minister|World News
Ankara: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would not participate in the upcoming peace talks with Russia in Istanbul, although Kiev will send a delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov as part of a renewed push to re-push the conflict.
Zelenskyy said in a speech at a press conference in Ankara that the Ukrainian embassy said Ukraine remains committed to dialogue but expressed doubts about Moscow’s intentions, after talking with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “Unfortunately, we don’t see any decision makers among the people representing the other side,” Zelenskyy told reporters.
Zelenskyy said that although he retained his reservation, Ukraine would take constructive action and send representatives to the talks to prevent further escalation. “I decided to send our delegation to Istanbul,” he said.
“Not everyone will be present – the head of the Security Agency Vasyl Malyuk and Chief of Staff Andriy Hnatov will not attend – but the delegation will be led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. He will be joined by professionals including military and intelligence personnel.”
Zelenskyy said the timing of the negotiations is still being completed, but is expected to take place Thursday or Friday. “The delegation has been dispatched. The delegation from Türkiye is ready,” he said. “It may be today, maybe tomorrow.”
The talks in Istanbul will mark the first direct negotiations between Kiev and Moscow since the outbreak of the Ukrainian conflict in 2022. Speaking separately at a meeting of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Antalya, NATO Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said he hoped the Istanbul meeting could mark a turning point.
“I hope the talks held in Istanbul will open a new chapter for us,” Fida said. “After three years of pain, we now see a window of opportunity.” Fida said that Russia and Ukraine both expressed their willingness to consider a ceasefire, but the conditions were different. He stressed that substantive negotiations would require compromise between the two sides. “There are intense diplomatic activities in Ankara, Antalya and Istanbul,” he said. “If peace is the goal, then both sides must be willing to make concessions.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also attended the NATO meeting, saying Washington supports a negotiated solution. “We will see what happened to the peace talks in Istanbul, but we want to see progress,” he said. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Paris is pushing for an “emergency” and “unconditional” ceasefire. The negotiations in Istanbul follow a proposal made by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, calling for direct negotiations with Ukraine.
Zelenskyy had previously said he was willing to attend a face-to-face meeting with Putin. However, the Kremlin said Putin will not attend the talks on Thursday. Instead, Russia will be represented by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.
