Russia and Ukraine meet - who will be there?

Russia and Ukraine meet - who will be there?

The President of the Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky could be the Russian on Thursday President Vladimir Putin - provided that the Russian head of state decides to come to a summit that he himself has suggested . The possibility of a personal meeting of the two heads of the state causes great excitement, but so far the Kremlin has not given any information about who will actually travel to Turkey, and Russian officials have spent days to prepare justifying explanations and excuses for Putin's possible absence.

The way to this meeting

The talks were first responded by Putin in response to the Ultimatum with regard to the ceasefire or sanctions that the European allies of Ukraine formulated against Moscow on Saturday. Germany's heads of state, France, Poland and the United Kingdom demanded that Russia have to accept a 30-day ceasefire or to expect new, "massive" sanctions.

Putin ignored this claim and instead suggested "direct conversations" between Russia and Ukraine. This seems to be a delay tactic of Putin-a strategy that he has already used in the past . The Europeans and Ukraine initially believed that there could be no conversations before an agreed ceasefire. But when US President Donald Trump intervened and asked Zelensky on social media, "to have the meeting now !!!", the Situation changed quickly.

The meaning of the meeting

Putin did not provide a personal meeting with the controversial Ukrainian president, but wanted to resume the discussions that took place in spring 2022 and where high -ranking diplomats were present. However, Zelensky increased the pressure by announcing that he himself traveled to Turkey and asked Putin to do it equal. The Ukrainian president made it clear that he would not meet another Russian official because "everything in Russia depends on Putin".

Trump, which is currently on the Middle East tour, increased the pressure by indicated that he could also come "if it is helpful". This idea was greeted by Zelensky, who said Ukraine was "grateful" for Trump's presence. Trump also told CNN that Putin "wants me to be there".

What could be on the negotiating table?

The two sides are so far apart in their positions that it remains unclear what the conversations - if they take place. Zelensky said on Tuesday that everything that does not lead to unconditional ceasefire would be seen as a failure. Putin, on the other hand, explained that Russia does not rule out that "there is a way to agree on a kind of new ceasefire" during this conversations, but the conversations will be aimed at eliminating the "causes of the conflict".

The "causes" that he appeals to include long-cherished Russian complaints about the existence of Ukraine-which was formerly part of the Soviet Union-as a sovereign state and the NATO-Ost expansion after the end of the Cold War. Both are not negotiable for Ukraine and its allies.

earlier conversations between Ukraine and Russia

The last known direct talks between Kiev and Moscow took place in Turkey and Belarus in spring 2022, when it became clear that Putin's initial plan to take all of Ukraine and used a puppet government in Kiev within a few days had failed. This meant that Russia tried to achieve his goals through negotiations.

The Institute for the Study of War, an American conflict research institute, reported that the contract proposed by Moscow provided for the surrender of Ukrainian sovereignty and that Ukraine had completely defenselessly made future attacks. As soon as Ukrainian armed forces began to free parts of North Ukraine and found clear evidence of massacres and other atrocities, the conversations began to collapse.

The Russian offenses that were discovered in a city, especially in Bucha, only northwest of Kiev, shocked the world and strengthened the resistance of the Ukrainian people.

who could still participate?

According to Zelensky's challenge to the Russian president, the Kremlin started preparing to signal that Putin might not be able to participate. "This is pure spectacle, it is theatrics. Because top -class meetings, especially in such a difficult situation, are absolutely not organized in this way," said the deputy chairman of the Federation Council of Russia, Konstantin Kosachev, on Monday on Russian state television. He explained that negotiators would participate "at an expert technology level".

The Turkish government explained earlier this week that it was ready, "All sorts of support, including mediation and Hosts for negotiations to achieve peace ”. In the past, Turkey has acted as a bridge between Moscow and Kiev and was particularly successful when it conveyed the security guarantee for Ukrainian ships that convey grocery deliveries - a rare diplomatic success in the brutal conflict. Russia withdrew from this agreement in 2023.

As a NATO member, Turkey is invested in the conflict, but is also considered to be more open to the Russian side, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan previously highlighted his “special relationship” with Putin. Trump's special envoys for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, and his foreign envoy, Steve Witkoff, both want to be for the talks in Istanbul, as was confirmed on Tuesday by a high-ranking official of the Trump administration. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also in Turkey to take part in an informal meeting of NATO Foreign Minister.

The fact that the two delegations may meet face to face is significant - even if the goal is to satisfy Trump than actually reaching a contract.

Reporting of CNNS Darya Tarasova, Kylie Atwood and Gul Tuysuz.