Ukrainian MP urges Trump to reject talks with Putin, calls Russian leader unreliable

He shared this opinion during a broadcast on Espreso TV.

“I think talking to Putin is completely pointless. It’s absolutely hopeless. I’ve been thinking about what Donald Trump could do after the de facto failure of the Turkey talks and Russia’s unserious approach. In this situation, even beyond Ukraine’s interests, the most logical step for Trump would be to declare that he will not engage in talks with Putin because he is not capable of negotiating in good faith. He could also say that he’s ready to negotiate with a new Russian leader. In other words, the chapter with Putin should be closed — there’s nothing more to discuss,” Merezhko stated.

The MP noted that relying on Trump to act strategically is futile, as he tends to act impulsively and based on the immediate situation.

“If you look at statements by people close to Trump, like John Bolton, they say the U.S. president has no clear strategy. He makes decisions depending on the situation. So it’s hard to claim that Donald Trump has a clear action plan or makes well-thought-out decisions,” Merezhko added.

• On May 16, a trilateral meeting took place in Istanbul between the delegations of Ukraine, the United States, and Turkey. This was followed by negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations. According to Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, the sides discussed a prisoner exchange in a 1,000-for-1,000 format, a ceasefire, and a potential meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin.

• Zelenskyy stated that the Russian delegation in Istanbul appeared weak and unprepared, lacking meaningful authority.

• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is possible, but only as a “result of work” after agreements are reached.