Ukrainian delegation, but not Zelensky will participate in talks with Russia / day
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky said at a press conference in Ankara after a meeting with Turkish President Reggie Tajip Erdogan that Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov would be head of the delegation.
The Ukrainian delegation has the power to discuss the issue of cessation of fire, the Ukrainian president added.
He also said that Russia is not serious about negotiations, but he is still ready to meet Putin.
According to Zelensk, the main purpose of the talks is the ceasefire, and the meeting with the Russian side could happen today or tomorrow. The Ukrainian President said that meetings with US representatives were also expected.
Zelensky said he had nothing to do in Istanbul, because Putin had not arrived there.
« I have nothing to do in Istanbul. Russia said Putin was ready for the conversation, then they changed everything. We are ready to really talk, » Zelensky said.
« If Putin is ready for the conversations – let’s meet. We are here (Ankara), but he is neither here nor Istanbul. We can’t run around the world in search of him, » Zelensky said.
Zelensky also rejected the return of Crimea to peace with Russia. « We cannot discuss territorial issues. This is a violation of our constitution. To discuss what is happening, what the humanitarian crises are – we are ready and want. But given all the discussions, we are not legally recognized by the occupied territory on Russian territories, » Zelensky said.
Meanwhile, the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said Moscow’s representatives were ready for possible compromises and discussing them.
Zelensky previously expressed his readiness to meet Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Istanbul on Thursday.
Until the last minute, the Kremlin was silent about the composition of the Russian delegation and only on Wednesday night revealed that it would be led by Putin’s assistant Vladimir Medinsky. The delegation will also include Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin and Igor Kostyukov, Chief of the Military Intelligence Service.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday denied that Putin could come to the talks later. He also said that Putin had a meeting on Wednesday night to prepare for the talks. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrejs Belousovs, National Guard Commander Viktor Zolotov, Secretary of the Security Council Sergey Shuig, General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov and Head of the Security Service, Alexander Bortnikov, attended the meeting.
The Ukrainian public broadcaster « Suspiļne », referring to a source known for the Ukrainian position, said on Thursday that the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul is ready to discuss the issue of stopping the 30 -day fire.
Experts do not rule out the possibility that the first low -ranking delegations meetings could be followed in this cycle of negotiations.
US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he could go to Turkey if progress was made in direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Turkey is already US Secretary of State Marko Rubio, who attends a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Antalya. He had already had a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrew Sibih in Antalya. On Friday, Rubio, as well as Trump’s special envoys Steve Vitkof and Keith Kellogs are expected to arrive in Istanbul.
