Rubio little hope for Ukrainian-Russian talks / day

« I don’t think we have a breakthrough here, until (US) President (Donald) Trump and (Russia) President (Vladimir) Putin will not directly cooperate on this issue, » the US senior diplomat said after a NATO Foreign Minister’s meeting in southern Turkey.

Turkish officials have stated that « tripartite negotiations between Russia, Ukraine and Turkey » are on the agenda on Friday and that negotiations between the United States, Ukraine and Turkish officials will take place.

But Rubio told reporters in Turkey, « I want to be open – we have no hope of what will happen tomorrow ».

Russian dictator Putin on Sunday suggested that Russia and Ukrainian talks be launched in Istanbul on Thursday, and Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky responded to the proposal, expressing his readiness to go to Istanbul himself and meet with Putin.

The Russian side in the coming days was silent about his representation in the negotiations, and it was only on Wednesday night that the delegation would be led by Putin’s assistant Vladimir Medinsky, a former Minister of Culture and the current chairman of the Russian Writers’ Union.

Zelensky has called the Russian delegation as props.