Putin may stage major provocation during Turkey talks — Ukrainian lawmaker

He shared his thoughts on the Espreso channel.

"There are several scenarios, and none of them can be ruled out regarding what could happen in Istanbul. The most likely scenario is that President Zelensky will arrive in Istanbul and not wait for Putin, because he will be afraid to come. Right now, Putin, like Stalin in the last years of his life, like any dictator, is becoming paranoid and afraid to travel abroad," Merezko said.

He also mentioned that Putin and his entourage understand that if he arrives, the image for the media and the world will not be in his favor. On one side, the world will see the young Ukrainian leader of a country heroically defending its sovereignty and protecting itself from Russian aggression. On the other side, the world will see the old dictator, a war criminal, who is wanted. This image no longer works in Putin's favor; it undermines the propagandist images he and his entourage are trying to create.

So the most likely scenario is that Putin won’t come. In that case, President Zelensky may hold a briefing for journalists. "And I hope that then President Trump will finally understand that Putin is not a figure with whom serious talks can even begin, that he is not interested in starting serious negotiations," Merezko suggested.

According to him, the second, less likely option is that Putin will come, but this is unlikely to happen. And even if Putin dares to come to Istanbul, he will lose, at least in the informational aspect, because he has nothing to say.

"Putin will only repeat the same propaganda nonsense about the 'root causes of the conflict,' as he calls it. But he has already bored the world with his lies, and there is simply no point for him to go," he said.

Merezko also did not rule out that Putin might send someone in his place, perhaps a delegation. "Or another option could be that, to divert attention from the situation in Istanbul, Putin, in his style, may carry out a major provocation. So, this cannot be ruled out either," he added.

• During his night address on May 11, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin stated that he was allegedly ready for direct negotiations with the Ukrainian side in Turkey next week. At the same time, he ignored the idea of a 30-day ceasefire. In response, U.S. leader Donald Trump said he would continue working with both sides and that next week would be "great."
• On May 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he would personally wait for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on May 15 in Turkey.