The political scientist called the condition of negotiations between Putin and Zelensky “practical consequences”
Archive photo. Photo: Ian Langsdon / Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin may accept the offer of Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and hold a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky in Istanbul if the negotiations of the heads of state have “practical consequences.” Such a condition in a conversation with NEWS.ru named by political scientist Konstantin Kalachev.
Assessing the likelihood of a meeting, the interlocutor of the publication pointed out that such contacts should be worked out in advance, since there is a risk that negotiations may lead to nothing.
The political scientist also drew attention to the words of Erdogan, who during his visit to Kiev declared Turkey’s interest in establishing relations between Russia and Ukraine. “In fact, an interesting proposal was made by Erdogan’s press secretary, Ibrahim Kalyn, that Moscow and Kiev need a temporary agreement until the final settlement of the conflict [in Donbass]. Now, if the topic of the meeting was a temporary agreement that would suit Putin and would not deprive Zelensky’s rating in Ukraine, then the meeting is possible,” the expert stressed.
At the same time, he noted that the Russian side may not consider Turkey as a neutral platform for negotiations, since Kiev and Ankara cooperate in the defense sphere. In his opinion, Turkey clearly perceives Ukraine as an ally – this is indicated by Turkish investments in Ukraine, and the fact that Ukrainians can stay in the country for a month longer without a visa than Russians.
“And this may just hinder the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul. I doubt that such a meeting is possible. If Erdogan had persuaded Zelensky to refuse to join NATO, yes, it would have been aerobatics, but this will not happen,” Kalachev concluded.
Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan assured that Ankara is ready to take on mediation between Moscow and Kiev, if such a need arises. Commenting on the tension between Russia and Ukraine, the head of state reproached Western countries for inaction. He said that Western countries have not yet done anything to resolve the existing differences, while the conflict continues to worsen.
