Ukrainian-Russian talks made no major breakthrough as Russia insists on its stance to highlight its diplomatic strategy

[Lingbo Does Not Cross the Horizontal Pond Road]

On May 16, Russian presidential assistant and head of the Russian delegation to Istanbul talks, Mikhail Mezinsev, said that Russia was "satisfied" with the results of the Ukraine-Russia negotiations and was willing to continue dialogue, while Ukraine believed that Russia's demands such as "returning to constitutional territorial boundaries" were equivalent to forcing Ukraine to surrender.

Although the Istanbul talks between Ukraine and Russia did not make significant progress on a ceasefire, it was considered a "symbolic victory" for Russian President Putin. Russia refused to accept Ukraine's and its European allies' precondition of a "30-day unconditional ceasefire," which was essentially maintaining pressure on Ukraine under the guise of peace talks, while also keeping diplomatic initiative through interactions with U.S. President Trump.

Despite the condemnation of Russia's negotiation terms by leaders from the UK, France, Germany, Poland, and other countries as "unacceptable," Trump's negative attitude toward sanctions and his positive comments about meeting with Putin weakened the consistency of Western pressure on Russia. Trump stated before the Ukraine-Russia talks that he would meet with Putin to "personally resolve the conflict," which raised concerns in Kyiv that the U.S. and Russia might bypass Ukraine to reach an agreement. Zelenskyy had previously tried to seek U.S. support by calling for direct talks with Putin, but the deadlock in negotiations instead highlighted his powerlessness in diplomacy with the U.S.

The essence of these talks was Putin using diplomatic maneuvering to avoid pressure for a ceasefire while consolidating his own international standing by exploiting divisions within the U.S. and Europe. Zelenskyy's passive position in U.S.-Russia interactions further exposed Ukraine's strategic vulnerability in the conflict.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832316215135232/

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