Moscow (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Kremlin announced on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin might meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, contingent upon reaching specific agreements. Direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, the first in three years, commenced on Friday under the muted gray skies of Istanbul, reflecting their dim hopes.
President Zelenskyy proposed a meeting in Turkey this week, but instead, Putin dispatched a group of aides and officials to meet with Ukrainian negotiators on Friday. This marked the first in-person, bilateral discussions since March 2022. Ukraine reported that it had brought up the topic of a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting during the talks.
What conditions must be met for a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting?
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia considered such a meeting was possible, but only as a result of work between the two sides to “achieve certain results in the form of agreements.”
As reported by Reuters, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not detail what arrangements Russia expects. Since December 2019, Putin and Zelenskyy have not held discussions.
He also said:
“At the same time, when signing documents that the delegations are to agree upon, the main and fundamental thing for us remains who exactly will sign these documents from the Ukrainian side.”
Why did Putin refuse to meet Zelenskyy in Turkey?
Peskov did not provide further details on that statement. Putin has previously questioned Zelenskyy’s legitimacy as president, stating that his elected term ended last year. Ukraine, currently under martial law while defending itself against Russia, has not scheduled a new election date.
How significant was the Istanbul peace talks’ progress?
Russia and Ukraine conducted their first direct peace talks since 2022 in Istanbul, but no significant progress was made. Neither Vladimir Putin nor Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the meeting at Dolmabahce Palace, which lasted just under two hours. Anticipations for the talks were already subdued, as US officials tempered expectations and Moscow displayed minimal inclination to negotiate.
Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s defense minister, indicated that the “next step” involves direct talks between Zelenskyy and Putin.
He emphasized that Ukraine’s priority has always been “people” and referred to the prisoner exchange agreement as an “important achievement.” A spokesperson from Ukraine’s foreign ministry stated that the Russian delegation “expressed several points that we consider unacceptable” during discussions in Istanbul.
