Negotiations on Ukraine War: Pressure on Putin in Istanbul is increasing!
Negotiations on Ukraine War: Pressure on Putin in Istanbul is increasing!
Istanbul, Türkei - In Istanbul, decisive negotiations on a possible end of the Ukraine war could take place this week. The Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskow has confirmed that a Russian delegation will travel to the Turkish metropolis on Thursday, but it is unclear whether President Vladimir Putin himself will travel. This uncertainty raises questions about the willingness of Russia to participate in serious conversations. In the meantime, the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj is preparing for a visit to Turkey to first speak to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Selenskyj has emphasized that Putin has to take part in the negotiations because he makes the decisive decisions regarding the war. Political scientist Thomas Jäger comments that the pressure on Russia is currently only verbal and that the unity of European partners for Russia is not important. Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff of Selenskyj, explains that Putin's absence in Turkey could be understood as a signal that Russia is not interested in the end of the conflict.
urgency of the conversations
Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and European partners have put Russia under pressure with an ultimatum, but this was ignored. Merz, who has planned to return Germany in Europe, was actively involved in diplomatic initiatives to terminate the Ukraine conflict. He also promised a possible meeting of the EU Council on Ukraine. Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius (SPD) now expresses doubts about Russia's will to negotiate and emphasizes that the country continues to drive military aggression.
The US government also tries to act as a peace broker. However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expresses pessimism about the talks in Istanbul. He does not believe that a breakthrough is possible as long as Trump and Putin do not meet personally. Another worrying sign is that the Russian army progresses in several front sections in the east of Ukraine, which underlines the urgency of the negotiations.
international reactions
In the coming days, trilateral meetings with foreign policy consultants from Germany, France, Great Britain and Poland are planned. Merz praises Selenskyj for his trip to Turkey while Putin cancel. In the meantime, British Defense Minister John Healey calls for further sanctions against Putin to persuade him to negotiate. However, Merz has expressed skepticism in terms of the use of frozen Russian credit to promote peace.The negotiations after February 24, 2022, the day of the Russian invasion into Ukraine, are characterized by the constant struggles. A Russian fighter plane recently entered Estonia, which is classified as a serious threat. NRW Interior Minister Reul also warns of expanded spy activities by Russia. Despite the vital conversations, the situation remains tense, and the international partners have to make decisive progress to prevent a new setback in Ukraine.
The Turks appeal to both sides to compromise, while the EU ambassador in Moscow demands unconditional ceasefire. It remains to be seen whether the talks in Istanbul will make significant progress.
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| Ort | Istanbul, Türkei |
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