Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has cast serious doubt on Russia’s sincerity in moving toward a peace agreement, even though Moscow has confirmed its participation in the upcoming meeting in Istanbul on Monday, reports the BBC.
Zelensky accused the Kremlin of sabotaging the process by showing no goodwill toward reaching a concrete outcome.
“For a meeting to be meaningful, its agenda must be clear, and the negotiations must be properly prepared,” the Ukrainian president stated, adding that Russia “is doing everything to ensure that the next talks are fruitless.”
Meanwhile, despite announcing participation, Moscow has yet to send any official proposal for negotiations—something Ukraine sees as a key requirement. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said conditions for a ceasefire would be discussed in Turkey.
On the other hand, Ukraine has reaffirmed its readiness for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and has submitted its proposals to Russia.
The first round of talks held two weeks ago in Istanbul did not result in a final agreement, though both sides agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each.
