Ukrainian leader insists lower-level talks with Russian officials would be “pointless”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to Istanbul this week, but only for a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak. Discussions with lower-ranking Russian officials would be “meaningless,” Podolyak told Kyiv Independent, as reported by Digi24.

Zelensky had already declared his intention to meet Putin personally, posting on X two days earlier:

“I will wait for Putin in Turkey on Thursday. We are expecting a complete and durable ceasefire starting tomorrow to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the crimes.”

Kremlin Yet to Confirm

So far, the Kremlin has indicated willingness for direct talks with Kyiv but has not confirmed whether Putin will attend the meeting in Istanbul.

When asked whether Zelensky would meet with any other Russian representative if Putin declined, Podolyak was clear: “No, of course not. That’s the format,” he said.

Podolyak stressed that only Putin can make a definitive decision on whether the war continues or ends.

“It is not the ministers or lower-level officials who can decide the course of this war,” he added.

The high-stakes meeting comes after recent pressure from the US and European leaders on both sides to agree to a temporary ceasefire and explore a political solution. However, analysts remain skeptical of any immediate breakthrough.