The absence of a high-level Russian delegation in Turkey is a sign of disrespect not only to Ukraine, but also to Turkey and the United States.
This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky during a press conference in Ankara.
“I believe the Kremlin leader must show leadership, and if he’s ready for negotiations, he should come and meet—without any preconditions, as he himself once demanded,” Zelenskyy said.
He stressed that the Ukrainian delegation is in Ankara and will head to Istanbul next. There is no Russian delegation, nor is the Russian president present.
“The U.S., I believe, and Turkey feel disrespected by Russia. There is no set meeting time, no agenda, no high-level delegation. This is personal disrespect. I’m not even talking about how the Russians don’t respect us—that’s already clear. But we reflect that right back. It’s a sign of disrespect to Erdoğan, a sign of disrespect to Trump. Trump is sending a large team, including Secretary of State Rubio. And who are the parties to the war? Russia and Ukraine. Secretary Rubio is here, the Turkish Foreign Minister is here, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister is here. Where is the corresponding representative from the Russian Federation? This is not just disrespect toward Ukraine—it’s toward everyone. First and foremost, I believe, toward Turkey, because this meeting is being held here,” Zelenskyy emphasized.
The President noted that consistency and constructive dialogue are crucial for Ukraine now.
“And even now, despite the level of delegations, we are deliberately sending our delegation at the level of the Minister of Defense of Ukraine so that later no one can claim Ukraine was to blame for any failure in the negotiations,” Zelenskyy said.
He emphasized that Ukraine expects sanctions to be imposed if Russia refuses to move forward toward ending the war.
“Even now, no one is talking about ending the war—everyone talks about a ceasefire. Because everyone understands how difficult that path is with these people,” Zelenskyy added.
