Many said it would be impossible, not to mention ill-advised. But thanks to the relentless pressure by US President Donald J. Trump and his administration, both Russian and Ukrainian official sources have confirmed that the peace talks between Moscow and Kiev delegations in Istanbul will happen tomorrow (16).
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky went to the Turkish capital, Ankara, met with Erdogan and did his usual media circus, called the Russian delegation ‘a sham’ with no negotiating power, said Putin was scared of him – the works.
Russians reacted with an equivalent torrent of insults, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Zelensky ‘a pathetic person’, while his firebrand spokeswoman Maria Zakharova came out with this: ‘Waiting for the clown [Zelensky] to finish speaking, for the hallucinogens to let him go, and for him to allow those he has banned for three years to begin negotiations’.
Meanwhile, the Russian delegation waited for almost 24 hours for their Ukrainian counterparts. Vladimir Medinsky is leading the team. He was the chief negotiator back in the original 2022 peace talks.
While it seemed that Zelensky was going to call off the talks because of Putin’s absence, at some point US pressure made him ok a team led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
RT reeported:
“While the talks were planned to take place on Thursday, Russian and Ukrainian sources claim they are already rescheduled for Friday. While the Kremlin delegation has been waiting for its counterpart to arrive since Thursday morning, Vladimir Zelensky announced that he sent his representatives, led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, later in the evening.”
Much of the discussion regarding the eventual presence of Trump and Putin. While no one of them confirmed presence, Zelensky was habitually frustrated and left Ankara back for Ukraine.
For the American part, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Turkey, as well as Envoys Keith Kellog and Steve Witkoff.
Much of the discussion regarding the eventual presence of Trump and Putin. While no one of them confirmed presence, Zelensky was habitually frustrated and left Ankara back for Ukraine.
For the American part, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Turkey, as well as Envoys Keith Kellog and Steve Witkoff.
With all that, there’s still a small possibility of a real breakthrough, as Trump has openly admitted.
But was once impossible, is happening tomorrow, thanks to Trump’s irresistible push for peace.
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