"Putin had no choice": political expert explains who pressured Kremlin into Turkey talks

He shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

"All agreements were made a long time ago. The American side talked about a 22-point agreement reached in London. I’m sure this agreement is on Putin’s desk. Shoigu, Lavrov, Patrushev, and others have seen it and understand exactly where things are headed. It’s just a matter of time and how long they can delay it. 

When Putin said he was ready for talks in Istanbul, everyone knew he couldn’t say anything else because of U.S. pressure. People say the Americans aren’t pressuring Russia, but that’s not true. They may not pressure Russia as much as we want, but the Kremlin knows very well that cutting off contact with the Trump administration would be disastrous for them," Klochok explained.

The political expert noted that no concessions will be made regarding the territories controlled by Ukraine. The Trump administration has also confirmed this position.

"Everyone now understands how the ceasefire will be carried out and where it will stop. The only issue is that the demarcation line isn’t clearly defined. There is no talk of Ukraine surrendering any controlled territories. The White House has made this clear. The Kremlin sees the need to pressure Washington and push its interests in other areas — not necessarily in Ukraine," he added.