A meeting between President Zelensky and Kremlin leader Putin is unlikely to happen anytime soon, as Russia hopes to achieve some success on the battlefield first.
However, Ukraine’s successes and strengthening of its positions on the front lines may “convince” Putin to meet with Zelensky and begin peace talks.
This opinion was expressed in an exclusive comment to Ukrinform by Murat Aslan, an international expert at the SETA analytical center, associate professor, and doctor of science at the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Hasan Kalyoncu University.
“There are currently doubts as to whether this meeting [between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia] will take place. The Russians are already on the offensive at the front. They have not achieved any results, but they expect success. And, according to Russian estimates, this success is planned to be achieved by October. Of course, this is Russia’s calculation. Therefore, only events on the battlefield can convince Putin to meet,” said Murat Aslan.
The expert believes that if Ukraine strengthens its defensive lines on the front and stops Russia’s advance, the Kremlin leader will agree to a meeting.
“Especially if it [Ukraine] begins to capture territory on several fronts, Putin will likely agree to a meeting,” says Murat Aslan.
The expert at the SETA think tank points out that such conclusions can be easily drawn from previous experience.
“The Russians agree to any deal only when they believe they have suffered a military defeat or failed to achieve victory. Therefore, Ukraine must first begin to achieve success on the front lines before reaching a peace agreement. Otherwise, the Russians will either act slowly or insist on peace terms that they dictate,” said expert and researcher Murat Aslan.
As reported by Ukrinform, Turkey recently announced that it does not rule out the participation of its peacekeepers in Ukraine, but for this to happen, a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine must be established, the scope of the mission with a clear mandate and the contribution of each country must be defined.
Photo: Hasan Kalyoncu Üniv, social network X
Source: Only defeats on battlefield can convince Putin to negotiate peace, expert says
