President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Russians had sent a delegation to Turkey for talks that was of a “sham level.” The head of state promised to announce further actions of the Ukrainian delegation after talks with Turkish President Recep Erdogan.
According to an Ukrinform correspondent, the President’s press service broadcasted a short address by the President of Ukraine near the plane after his arrival in Ankara.
“The level of Russians is not yet officially known to me, but from what we see, it looks more like a prop level. We will think about what we will do, what our steps will be after talking to President Erdogan. I think we will have a few hours for an important conversation and important decisions. We need to understand the level of the Russian delegation and what their mandate is, whether they are able to make any decisions themselves, because we all know who makes decisions in Russia,” Zelensky said.
He also noted that the Ukrainian delegation is in contact with the American side.
As reported, on May 10, Ukraine, together with its allies – France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Poland – proposed a 30-day ceasefire without any conditions. In case of refusal, Ukraine’s allies intend to increase sanctions against Russia.
Subsequently, Putin offered to hold direct talks with Ukraine “where they were interrupted” in 2022, in Istanbul.
Zelensky said he would personally wait for Putin in Turkey on May 15. However, the Russian dictator sent a delegation to Istanbul headed by his aide Vladimir Medynsky. The delegation also included Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin.
Source: Zelensky in Ankara on Russian delegation: this is sham level
