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“Diplomatic simulator”: Ukrainian diplomat discusses feasibility of Ukraine-Russia talks in Turkey

14 May, 2025 Wednesday
12:09

Oleksandr Khara, diplomat and director of the Center for Defense Strategies, says that the meeting in Istanbul on May 15 will be a technical one and is unlikely to produce any results

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He shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

“There are no real negotiations happening, and they’re unlikely to begin. We’re talking to the Americans, who are talking to the Russians — but that’s not real negotiation, because there’s no topic or space for compromise. This is more of a simulation we have to play to keep the Americans on our side. Ukraine’s task is to make sure any failure in the Istanbul talks is clearly seen as Russia’s fault. Meanwhile, Russia will try to paint Ukraine as unwilling to negotiate or accept reasonable compromises. The goal is to provoke a reaction from Trump, increase pressure on Ukraine, and possibly get the talks called off. Another Russian aim is to stir conflict between European leaders and Trump,” commented Oleksandr Khara.

According to Khara, there is no point in President Zelenskyy meeting with the Russian foreign minister or any other Russian official, as Putin has no intention of attending the talks in Istanbul and knows that no agreement will be reached. It's also important to remember that Putin has not recognized President Zelenskyy or the Ukrainian government as legitimate since 2014.

“If Trump said he would be in Istanbul and would wait for Putin, then the Russian leader would be forced to take the risk, despite his fear of leaving territory he controls. In that case, he’d have to come. But since that’s unlikely, I see no reason for him to appear in Istanbul. Likewise, our president has no reason to meet with members of Putin’s ‘entourage.’ We already know how such talks end — there’s nothing to agree on.”

In his view, Russia cannot implement a ceasefire because it would eventually need to restart the war, which would provoke a negative reaction from Trump.

“Most likely, this will be just a technical meeting with no real outcome. But what matters is that we’ve managed to win a small symbolic battle between Putin and Zelenskyy. President Zelenskyy agreed to attend and shifted the focus, saying there must be a ceasefire first, then a political process. We need to build on that success, even if we know the meeting won’t bring results. It has to be clear to the public — so Trump sees it in the news. The Americans sent Witkoff and Kellogg to Istanbul, which is a sign that Trump himself won’t attend,” Khara noted.

  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed he will visit Turkey on May 15 to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He also said he is ready to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
  • U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the potential negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey could lead to "quite good results." U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be part of the U.S. delegation to attend.
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