Zelensky says any meeting with Putin must result in ‘political victory' such as prisoner swap or ceasefire, not just talk
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that he plans to meet in person with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Istanbul in an effort to “find a framework to end the war.”
“We can’t agree on everything right away — that’s simply not possible. We have different views on life, different worldviews. But one way or another, we need to find a framework to end the war. There are certain things we need to agree on, and the technical details can be worked out separately,” Zelensky said in an interview with Der Spiegel.
If I meet with Putin, the meeting has to result in a political victory — a ceasefire or a prisoner exchange on an ‘all-for-all’ basis. And if he doesn’t show up, it means he’s not interested in a political victory — not for either country.
It was Putin who initially proposed direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15. However, it remains unclear whether he will attend. A former senior Kremlin official told The Washington Post on Tuesday that Russia would be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential aide Yury Ushakov. A source familiar with preparations for the talks told the outlet Agentstvo that Putin is not currently expected to take part. Two European diplomatic sources also told CNN they doubt Putin will travel to Turkey for the meeting.
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