See you in Istanbul? – release
A weekend with twists and turns that certainly does not allow a rapid stop of the Russian war in Ukraine, or even the lasting installation of a cease-fire. With a political animal as torive as Vladimir Putin, it would be going too fast in work.
But he has still played since Saturday a waltz with three diplomatic times which suggests that the lines can finally move, while the situation on the roughly military ground does not evolve. First time: European leaders engaged in the « volunteer coalition » (Macron, Merz, Tusk and Starmer) threaten Russia with additional sanctions if a cease-fire « Undo conditions » does not come into force this Monday.
The master of the Kremlin, not one to give in to such a ultimatum, responds by offering to open this Thursday in Istanbul « Negotiations », But without prior break. A way once again for Vladimir Putin to save time, trying to return the responsibility of the diplomatic impasse to his opponent. The surprise arrived at the end of the day when Volodymyr Zelensky said « to wait for » His Russian counterpart on Thursday in Türkiye. Bluff or real proposal? In any case, it is unlikely that Vladimir Putin will go to Turkey himself …
There remains a question, because a fourth actor hovers on this diplomatic ballet, Donald Trump. With what influence? The end of the war between Russia and Ukraine, among all his burning files to which he himself set fire, is undoubtedly the one he wants to conclude at all costs. At all costs literally as military support to Kyiv According to him, according to him, too expensive in the United States. Another way of asking the question is whether the Europeans present alongside Volodymyr Zelensky in the Ukrainian capital on Saturday rejoice as much as the white house with the poker blow of the Ukrainian president … They refuse in any case to endorse this possible summit if the Russian bombardments do not stop before.
