[Zelenskyy: Russia Attempts to Turn Istanbul Negotiations into a Hollow Show]
On May 16th, Zelenskyy delivered a speech at the European Political Community Summit held in Albania, pointing out that "we had the opportunity this week to take significant measures to end this war - as long as Putin dared to come to Turkey."
Zelenskyy revealed that he was prepared to meet with Putin on May 15th either in Ankara or Istanbul, but the Kremlin leader refused this proposal. He particularly emphasized that the Russian delegation sent to Istanbul was "at an extremely low level" and lacked any decision-making power within Russia itself.
To verify whether the Russian representatives "possessed any decision-making ability," Zelenskyy dispatched a delegation led by Ukrainian Defense Minister Umierov. He stated that if this meeting failed to even reach a ceasefire agreement, it would "100% prove that Putin is still destroying diplomatic solutions."
Zelenskyy also pointed out that the Russian delegation sent was the same group from 2022, indicating no change in their negotiating stance. "They make numerous statements and threats but never make decisions. Just like in 2022, they go to great lengths to turn these talks into a meticulously designed hollow performance."
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832279452071936/
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