A Ukrainian delegation led by president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a delegation from Russia arrived in Turkey on Thursday for peace talks, because the conflict continues to rage three years after it started. Whilst the 2 international locations are set to sit down throughout the desk from one another, Russia on Thursday claimed it has captured two villages in japanese Ukraine.The disagreement was additionally on proper earlier than the talks started, with Ukraine’s president Zelenskyy criticising Russia’s Putin for not coming to Turkey and as a substitute sending what he known as a “ornamental” delegation. “We have to perceive the extent of the Russian delegation and what their mandate is, if they’re able to making any selections themselves,” Zelenskyy stated as he arrived on the airport, including, “From what we see, it seems extra like a dummy.”Russia was fast to hit again, labelling Zelenskyy a “clown” and a “loser.” “Who makes use of the phrase ‘dummy’? A clown? A loser? Somebody with no training in any way,” stated overseas ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova at a weekly briefing from Moscow.Vladimir Medinsky, an in depth aide to president Putin, will lead the Russian delegation, which will even embody three different senior officers, in keeping with the Kremlin. As well as, Putin has appointed 4 junior-level officers as “specialists” for the peace talks in Istanbul.Zelenskyy had publicly challenged Putin to satisfy him in particular person in Turkey to debate ending the conflict. Zelenskyy had stated he would journey to Turkey and await Putin to indicate up. US president Donald Trump, in the meantime stated he was not shocked that Putin selected to not attend the talks. Trump had earlier known as for a face-to-face assembly between the 2 leaders however appeared unfazed by Putin’s absence.“I didn’t suppose it was potential for Putin to go if I’m not there,” Trump instructed reporters throughout a enterprise roundtable in Doha, Qatar. Ukrainian officers say Zelenskyy stays agency on assembly solely with Putin and that he’ll sit on the desk solely with Putin. It’s nonetheless unclear when and the place the Ukrainian and Russian delegations may maintain talks, however extra readability is anticipated after Zelenskyy meets Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Within the lead-up to the talks, Ukraine and its European allies had known as on Russia to simply accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. Kremlin didn’t settle for the proposal and as a substitute instructed direct talks between the 2 international locations. Russian officers have described Thursday’s talks as a “restart” of the negotiations that have been held in Istanbul through the early phases of the conflict in 2022 however collapsed quickly after.
