UK urges stronger NATO after Putin skips meeting with Zelenskyy
Photo: British Foreign Secretary David Lammy (Getty Images)
The UK criticized the Russian delegation that Vladimir Putin sent to Türkiye for the talks instead of himself. Against this backdrop, Britain has called for a stronger NATO, according to The Guardian and Independent.
Lammy is in Antalya, Türkiye, where an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers is to take place on May 15.
"We come with one single message to stand by Ukraine and to ensure that we get a just and lasting, enduring peace. And the readiness for that peace is demonstrated by president Zelenskyy being here in Turkey as well. And of course, we watched closely as we head to these talks, noting the Russian low-level individuals who are coming to represent the Russian side," Lammy said.
He emphasized that, given the Russian officials who came to represent Moscow, it is crucial that NATO redouble efforts across the Euro-Atlantic to reaffirm commitments to defense spending.
Ukraine-Russia talks in Türkiye
Russian leader Vladimir Putin proposed to hold direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul starting on May 15. His proposal came amid international pressure for a ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to a meeting in Turkey on May 15, but said he would speak only with Putin, not with his envoys.
Zelenskyy also emphasized that he would meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on May 15 and then wait for Putin. He said that he was ready to fly to Istanbul if Putin appeared there.
For a long time, Moscow did not announce the composition of the delegation, but in the evening of May 14, it became known that Putin would not personally travel to Türkiye. Instead, a group of officials headed by Vladimir Medinsky, one of the participants in the previous talks with Ukraine in 2022, was sent to the talks.
According to RBC-Ukraine's sources, Zelenskyy will decide on further steps after his conversation with Erdoğan. At the same time, WSJ sources report that the Ukrainian side may discuss a ceasefire with the Russian delegation.
Read more about what is known about the talks between Ukraine and Russia in Türkiye on May 15 in the RBC-Ukraine article.
