Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of “yet another deception” after Moscow failed to deliver a promised peace settlement proposal ahead of a potential second round of talks in Istanbul.
In his nightly video address on Thursday, Zelenskyy said,”Even the so-called ‘memorandum’ they promised and seemingly prepared for more than a week has still not been seen by anyone.”
He criticized Russia for breaking promises made to international leaders, including US President Donald Trump, saying Moscow was “doing everything to make the meetings hollow.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday claimed that Moscow had drafted a memorandum outlining its settlement position and proposed fresh negotiations in Istanbul on Monday. However, the Kremlin admitted Thursday it had not received confirmation from Kyiv about its participation.
Ukrainian officials expressed skepticism, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi suggesting Russia’s undisclosed memorandum likely contains “unrealistic ultimatums.” Meanwhile, Russia dismissed Kyiv’s demand to hand over the document as “non-constructive.”
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who has maintained relations with both sides, expressed optimism about the renewed push for dialogue. “The road to a resolution goes through more dialogue, more diplomacy. We are using all our diplomatic power and potential for peace,” his office stated.
The Russian delegation is expected to remain the same as in the first round, which included top-level diplomatic, military, and intelligence officials.
The Ukrainian President had offered to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin directly during the first talks in Istanbul, but Putin declined, leading Zelenskyy to send a delegation in his place.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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