Zelenskyy calls on Putin to give Russian delegation real powers for negotiations

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Illustrative photo: Office of the President

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has commented on the negotiation process with Russia, saying that Ukraine is ready to take all steps to end the war and urged Vladimir Putin to give the Russian delegation decision-making powers.

Zelenskyy said this during a speech at the summit of the European Political Community in Albania.

The President noted that he would keep the public informed of the events in Istanbul.

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«Ukraine is ready to take all realistic steps to end this war. I urge Putin to give his delegation real powers,» Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

According to him, the Russian delegation that arrived in Istanbul consists of low-level representatives who do not have the authority to make decisions.

«I was in Ankara yesterday — and I thank President Erdogan for his participation and reception — and I was ready for a direct meeting with Putin in Ankara or Istanbul. And not just to meet, but to resolve all the important issues, in my opinion. But he did not agree to anything. I mean Putin. Obviously, the Russian delegation that arrived in Istanbul is of a very low level. It does not include a single person who really makes decisions in Russia,» the President of Ukraine said.

At the same time, a source familiar with the negotiations told «Suspilne» that Russia demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops «from the territories it did not capture by military means as a precondition for a ceasefire».

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said that the process of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia would not move forward until he personally meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Earlier, Donald Trump also commented on Putin's absence at the talks in Turkey, saying that it was expected: Putin had no reason to go if Trump was not there.

Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey

On 11 May, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his desire to resume direct talks with Ukraine, which were suspended at the end of 2022. He also said that he planned to address Turkish President Recep Erdogan with a proposal to organise the talks.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal for direct talks, calling it a «good sign». However, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that a ceasefire was needed first to really start a dialogue with Russia. He later stressed that he was looking forward to direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkey.

In addition, Turkish President Recep Erdogan accepted Russian President Vladimir Putin's offer to hold talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on 15 May.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said that he had no information on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would attend the talks. At the same time, he did not rule out the possibility of his own participation in the event.

Late in the evening of 14 May, the Kremlin approved the official list of Russian representatives to participate in peace talks with Ukraine, but Russian President Vladimir Putin is not among the delegates.

On the day of the talks, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian delegation had arrived in Ankara in full force and was ready for real solutions to achieve a just peace. Instead, the composition of the Russian delegation is still unknown and, according to the head of state, resembles «a prop level».