This week, the Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul has turned into a stage for global geopolitical "reality shows"! The two sides of Ukraine and Russia, under the "peace mediation" of Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu, are ready to have a "century peace talk" with grievances accumulated over more than three years of war. What happened? From Putin's "no-show" to the "flash negotiation collapse," the whole process lasted less than two hours, leaving reporters on the scene looking at each other in bewilderment, while netizens exclaimed: this plot is bloodier than a soap opera! Is Putin a "peace promoter" or a "negotiation showman"? Let's take a little humor and carefully dissect this "short-lived negotiation"!
The story dates back to May 11. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called for a "30-day unconditional ceasefire," and European heavyweights all gave their thumbs up. US President Trump also nodded in agreement. However, Russian President Putin took an unconventional route, throwing out the line: "Direct negotiations in Istanbul on the 15th, no conditions!" Zelenskyy immediately "accepted the challenge," but added a condition: only negotiate with Putin himself! With the "Putin-Zelenskyy summit" set to become the focus, Trump was eager to jump in, saying he would "fly over if it's appropriate."
However, the plot took a sharp turn! On the 15th, the Kremlin lazily confirmed: Putin wouldn't come; instead, they sent a "mid-level delegation" to handle it. Zelenskyy was furious when he saw that his opponent had "downgraded," complaining in Ankara: "What is this? Sending a bunch of extras to act?" Trump also changed his tune: "I'd better return to Washington; without me and Putin, nothing can be achieved." Thus, all three heavyweights were absent, and the negotiation carried a foreboding "cooling off" vibe from the very beginning. Netizens joked: Putin's "pigeon master" operation might as well pre-order the Oscar for Best "Delay Director"!
In the negotiation: The Russian side made outrageous demands, leaving the Ukrainians stunned.
On the 16th, the negotiation finally began late at the Dolmabahçe Palace. Originally scheduled to start at 5:30 PM Taipei time, it didn't begin until 6:35 PM. Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu got emotional right away: "Two paths lie ahead, one leads to peace, the other to destruction and death. You choose!" This sounded like a wedding host's opening remarks, but it failed to move the representatives of both sides. Half of the Ukrainian team wore camouflage uniforms, while the Russians dressed formally. Both sides sat across from each other at a horseshoe-shaped table, with a cold atmosphere colder than the Cold War.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Umilov led the team, clearly prioritizing a ceasefire: a 30-day ceasefire, return of captured civilians and children, full exchange of prisoners of war! However, when Russian representative and Putin advisor Medinsky opened his mouth, the Ukrainians were left speechless. According to sources within the Ukrainian side, the Russian side demanded that Ukraine withdraw troops from four occupied regions: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, and even threatened to demand five regions next time! Not to mention these old tunes like "giving up NATO and maintaining neutrality." The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs angrily criticized: "This isn't negotiation; it's a surrender letter!" The Russian side's "outrageous demands" seem to have treated Ukraine as an all-you-can-eat buffet!
After the negotiation: The two-hour "flash collapse," with the only outcome being the prisoner exchange.
At 8:21 PM, the negotiation ended. From the start to the end, the entire process lasted less than two hours, shorter than a movie! The only outcome was that both sides agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war. U.S. Embassy spokesperson Tishiky sighed helplessly: "At least it will make 1,000 families happy." Apart from that? Nothing else was achieved! The Ukrainian side accused the Russian side of making "unrealistic demands," but the Russian side remained calm, with Medinsky even saying: "We're quite satisfied, and we're always ready to talk." Netizens joked: This negotiation speed is堪称 a "quick marriage quick divorce" version of geopolitical affairs!
Looking back, this "short-lived peace negotiation" was marked by "delay" from start to finish. First, the Russian side released a "direct negotiation" smokescreen to attract global attention; then, they sent a low-level delegation to "fake it," forcing Zelenskyy to send someone to respond to avoid being labeled as "uncooperative" by Trump. As a result, the Russian side threw out "surrender-like terms," causing the negotiation to quickly collapse. Over here, Trump wasn't much better. Initially claiming to achieve a ceasefire within 100 days, he got confused by Putin's line "I won't talk without you," and even left behind the line: "I need to see Putin soon!" His European allies were more than helpless, with German Chancellor Scholz only able to watch blankly: "Let's wait and see what Putin does next." As for Turkey? Cavusoglu worked hard, and the palace was all set up, but in the end, it looked like a "bystander," watching both sides "break up in two hours." Some netizens joked: Russia's operation turned everyone into "tools" to be played around! This less-than-two-hour "flash negotiation collapse" didn't bring any hope of a ceasefire; its biggest gain was that both sides directly talked. So, will the next negotiation collapse again, or can it last longer than three hours? Let's wait and see!
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7506462227349520937/
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