Zelenskyy Claims Russia Tries to Undermine Upcoming Peace Talks
(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday alleged that Russia is actively working to derail the upcoming peace negotiations, aiming to ensure that they “bring no results.”
Following a diplomatic meeting in Kyiv with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Zelenskyy spoke of Türkiye's ongoing support, particularly in efforts to mediate a lasting resolution to the war. He also expressed gratitude toward Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for “supporting our efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace.”
Zelenskyy highlighted a recent milestone achieved with Ankara's help: the large-scale prisoner exchange that freed more than 1,000 Ukrainians. “In particular, for their assistance in organizing the meeting that made it possible to secure the release of one thousands of our people from Russian captivity. The return of all Ukrainians held by Russia is one of our top priorities,” he said.
He criticized Moscow’s continued resistance to international pressure to halt the violence, pointing out that it has yet to produce any formal proposal for a settlement.
“Russia continues to ignore all calls from the world to cease fire and continues its killings,” Zelenskyy stated. He added, “Russians have been unable to present the so-called 'memorandum' they had promised to prepare immediately after the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange. Ukraine has received no documents from them — nor has Türkiye.”
Zelenskyy stressed that for peace discussions to have real impact, they must be meticulously organized with a defined agenda. “We value all our cooperation with Türkiye aimed at making diplomacy effective. We are grateful for Türkiye’s clear stance — consistent and full support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.
The next round of direct talks between Ukraine and Russia is scheduled for June 2 in Istanbul, following a May 16 meeting where both sides agreed on a prisoner swap and to begin drafting documents aimed at advancing the peace process.
Although Moscow insists it will reveal its proposal at the upcoming session, Kyiv continues to push for the draft to be shared ahead of time.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
