Russia would use advance to Dnipropetrovsk border as leverage in talks — military expert

He shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

“They’re trying to at least reach the administrative border of the Dnipropetrovsk region under the cover of so-called peace initiatives, or talk of possible negotiations, including in Istanbul. Russia has intensified hostilities along the full length of the front, but the toughest fighting is in the Novopavlivka and Pokrovsk directions. I’ll explain why. In the Novopavlivka direction, it’s about four kilometers to the Dnipropetrovsk region border, and in the Pokrovsk direction – up to seven kilometers,” he said.

Sniehyrov noted that if Russian forces manage to seize the tactical initiative and push toward the Dnipropetrovsk region, that will be used as military pressure during negotiations – not just on Ukraine, but also on the United States.

“At the point where the fighting could expand into new parts of Ukraine, it’ll be a de facto ultimatum from the occupying country: either Ukraine’s Defense Forces withdraw from the controlled areas of Luhansk, Donetsk, and possibly parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – especially the last two. Most likely, there’ll be some political agreements, but even if it’s just about Luhansk and Donetsk, Russia will still reserve the right to move the fighting directly into the Dnipropetrovsk region. That’s the core of Putin’s plan,” the expert said.

Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Istanbul

In a nighttime address on May 11, Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed he was ready for direct talks with Ukraine in Turkey next week, but he dismissed the idea of a 30-day truce. In response, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would keep working with both sides and predicted that the coming week would be “great.”

On May 12, the German government announced that if Russia did not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine by the end of the day, European partners would begin preparations for new sanctions. In contrast, the Kremlin stated that “the language of ultimatums is unacceptable for Russia.”

Advisor to the head of the Ukrainian President's Office, Mykhailo Podolyak, said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would not meet with any Russian representative other than Vladimir Putin in Turkey on May 15.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the talks in Istanbul with Kyiv should recognize the "realities on the ground," including Russia’s incorporation of Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.

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.