MOSCOW, May 12. /TASS/. Vladimir Zelensky saying that he will come to Istanbul and personally wait for Russian President Vladimir Putin there is nothing but political theater and showmanship, Russian Federation Council Deputy Speaker Konstantin Kosachev said.
"It’s pure theatrics, a total farce. That’s not how high high-level meetings are arranged, especially given the seriousness of the situation," he said during a Rossiya-24 TV broadcast.
Kosachev cited the drawn-out preparations for a potential meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump as an example of how things are usually done, because an impromptu meeting could lead to disastrous consequences. "Zelensky should know this from his own bitter experience, when he came unprepared to his meeting with President Trump in the White House in February, ending in a complete fiasco for him," the senator recalled.
Kosachev explained that Zelensky is trying to "turn the tables" on Russia with these comments, giving him the opportunity to say that it is allegedly being uncooperative. "Zelensky does not need a meeting with the Russian president now. He should be afraid of meeting with him. And I am sure that he is afraid, because, as Mr. Trump rightly says, he holds no cards. It is true, and Zelensky is in a terrible situation," he noted.
Speaking about why exactly Istanbul was chosen as the venue for the talks, Kosachev highlighted Turkey’s past history, as in 2022 they were able to organize talks between the countries "without a hitch." The senator also added that holding the talks in Istanbul would have a symbolic significance, representing a continuation of the negotiations broken off by the Ukrainian side that year.
On May 11, Vladimir Putin, speaking to reporters in the Kremlin, suggested that the Kiev authorities resume without preconditions the direct talks Ukraine broke off in 2022, proposing to launch a dialogue on May 15 in Istanbul. Vladimir Zelensky said that Ukraine was awaiting a ceasefire on May 12 and was ready to begin talks with Russia in Turkey on May 15. His statement came after US President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to immediately agree to the talks proposed by the Russian leader.