Putin skips Turkey summit, Zelensky ready to negotiate face-to-face
According to media reports, Vladimir Putin will not fly to Istanbul for the next round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations. Earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his readiness to meet with the Russian leader in Turkey. "He is scared of direct talks with me," assessed the President of Ukraine.
The independent Russian portal Gulagu.net reported on Putin's plans. The journalists cited information from the Federal Protective Service of Vladimir Putin, confirming that the president's security service does not plan a visit to Turkey.
Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolak stated that President Volodymyr Zelensky will conduct talks about halting the fighting solely with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and no one else.
"I’m not even mentioning that he is scared of direct talks with me," Zelensky declared on Tuesday.
"We will do everything to ensure that this meeting takes place. I believe that Putin does not want the war to end, does not want a ceasefire, does not want any negotiations," added the Ukrainian president.
Putin "surprised": EC on Zelensky's proposal
European Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho suggested on Tuesday that Vladimir Putin might be surprised by Volodymyr Zelensky's readiness for a personal meeting.
When asked whether Zelensky is considering meeting with another Russian representative in the absence of Putin at the talks in Istanbul, Podolak replied briefly: "No, of course. Well, this is not the format."
On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced that he is considering attending the Russian-Ukrainian talks in Turkey on Thursday. He suggested that Vladimir Putin might also appear in Istanbul and stated that he would attend if it proves to be "helpful."
