Zelenskyy appeals to Putin after talks in Istanbul: 'Give real authority'
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
The Ukrainian delegation arrived in Istanbul ready to discuss ending the war. In contrast, Russia sent representatives without real authority, according to a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"This week, we had a real chance to take important steps toward ending this war — if only (Russian President Vladimir Putin - ed.) Putin hadn’t been afraid to come to Türkiye," Zelenskyy emphasized.
He added that he was personally in Ankara yesterday and thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for hosting him. The president noted that as recently as yesterday, he was ready for a direct meeting with Putin in either Ankara or Istanbul.
"And not just for a meeting, but to resolve all the important issues, in my view. But he didn't agree to anything. I mean, Putin," the president remarked.
At the same time, he pointed out that the Russian leader had sent a very low-level delegation to Türkiye.
"None of them are people who make decisions in Russia. Still, I sent our team to Istanbul, led by Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, at least to see if those Russians can decide anything," he explained.
Against this backdrop, Zelenskyy addressed Putin directly and urged him to grant the delegation real authority.
"Ukraine is ready to take all realistic steps to end this war. I call on Putin to give his delegation real authority," the Ukrainian president said.
He noted that throughout the day, he would continue to inform everyone about what was happening in Istanbul and whether there was any chance the Russian delegation would take real steps to stop the killings and bring an end to the war.
Talks in Türkiye
Just yesterday, on May 15, Zelenskyy made a sharp remark about the composition of the Russian delegation, calling it "a sham."
Notably, today in Istanbul, a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations did take place. A meeting at this level marks the first contact between the two countries in three years.
More details on how the negotiations in Istanbul unfolded can be found in the full report by RBC-Ukraine.
