UK Prime Minister reacts to Putin’s refusal to meet with Zelenskyy
Photo: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer (Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to come to Istanbul for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy because he is "dragging his feet." He does not want a swift ceasefire, states UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, according to The Guardian.
Starmer noted that Putin is "standing in the way" of a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
"What’s happened today is further evidence that it’s Putin who is dragging his feet. IIt is Putin who is causing the delay in a ceasefire. Ukraine has long been clear, several months ago now, that they would have a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, and we have long said that it’s Putin who is standing in the way of that peace," he emphasized.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey said that Ukraine’s allies "need to act and put pressure on Putin" amid uncertainty over peace talks in Türkiye.
He also called for further sanctions against Russia.
"We need to put pressure on Putin that helps bring him to the negotiating table. Now is the time for him … to negotiate and to put an end to this fighting," Healey said.
According to him, the Russian President has the opportunity to end the war: he can come to Istanbul for talks and give the order for a ceasefire.
Zelenskyy–Putin talks
Today, May 15, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was ready for negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. For this purpose, he arrived in Türkiye.
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin ignored the meeting. Instead, he sent a delegation that does not even include top Russian officials.
More details on the Ukraine–Russia talks in Istanbul can be found in the report by RBC-Ukraine.
