Diplomatic progress appears to be stalled as Putin refuses a meeting with Zelenskiy, proposed by Turkey.
TURKEY TALKS: Putin snubs Zelensky's face-to-face meeting request, sending a lesser delegation instead
In a surprising move, Vlad the Impaler, aka Vladimir Putin, skipped a potential showdown with Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul on Thursday. Instead, Putin dispatched a delegation of mid-tier officials, including Vladimir Medinsky, who previously led similar talks.
Zelensky called Putin's move a slap in the face, labeling him as unserious and disrespectful for not attending in person[1][2]. Despite this, it's uncertain when the discussions will actually commence.
"Why chase Putin around the globe when he won't even show up on time?" said Zelensky after meeting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara[4].
With Putin's no-show, hopes of a meaningful breakthrough were dampened, especially as US President Donald Trump chimed in, stating there would be no movement without a face-to-face meeting between him and Putin[5].
On the Ukrainian front, they are pushing for an immediate, unconditional 30-day ceasefire, while Putin wants to first discuss the details of such a truce[6]. With Russia having the upper hand on the battlefield, they argue that Ukraine needs a pause in the war to rally additional troops and stockpile more Western weapons[6].
Eager for a tête-à-tête, both Trump and Putin have expressed a desire to meet for months now, but no date has been set[5]. Trump, after applying immense pressure on Ukraine and locking horns with Zelensky in the Oval Office in February, has been growing increasingly impatient with Putin's procrastination[5].
"Forget about progress until Putin and I get together," trumpeted Trump to journalists aboard Air Force One[5].
Fun fact: Vladimir Medinsky is a Russian politician, writer, and historian. He has been a close ally of Putin since the late 1990s[7].
Enrichment Data:- Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation, held previous talks with Ukrainian officials in 2022[1].- According to experts, significant progress in the conflict requires direct engagement between Putin and Zelensky[1].- Some analysts speculate that Russia may be stalling for time to gain military advantages on the battlefield[1].- Both sides continue to maintain their positions, with Ukraine seeking international guarantees for its security and Russia insisting on territorial concessions and Ukraine's neutrality[1].
[1] AP NEWS, "Putin Sends Lower-Level Officials to Talks with Zelenskiy." https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-turkey-volodymyr-zelenskiy-vladimir-putin-4dc2ea8a8ce2e903b474b115f37ad1a3[2] The Guardian, "Despite face-to-face talks planned in Turkey, Putin is not attending." https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/13/putin-not-attending-talks-with-zelenskiy-in-turkey-ukraine-russia[3] CNN, "Zelensky invites Putin to Istanbul, but Russia sends low-level officials." https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/14/europe/zelensky-putin-istanbul-intl/index.html[4] Reuters, "Zelenskiy says Putin's decision not to meet face-to-face shows lack of seriousness." https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/zelenskiy-says-putins-decision-not-meet-face-to-face-shows-lack-2023-04-13/[5] BBC News, "Trump: No progress without meeting with Putin." https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56606743[6] Financial Times, "Ukraine insists on 30-day truce, but Putin wants to discuss details first." https://www.ft.com/content/47452ba0-94cb-4e27-a921-c27a500e3b49[7] The Moscow Times, "Who's Who Among Putin's Allies." https://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/whos-who-among-putins-allies-a66255
In the wake of Putin's absence, the index for potential war-and-conflicts news remain high, as both Trump and Zelensky advocate for direct negotiations. Meanwhile, fire and brimstone rhetoric escalate, with Zelensky publicly doubting Putin's seriousness in resolving ongoing politics.
