France’s Foreign Minister Warns Against “Three Traps” as Istanbul Talks Begin
As Ukraine-Russia talks are expected to begin in Istanbul, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stressed that the best possible outcome of the upcoming technical discussions would be an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, The Gaze reports, citing Interfax Ukraine.
Speaking to journalists in Antalya ahead of the informal NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting, Barrot cautioned against falling into the “three traps” that, in his words, “led to the failure of negotiations in Istanbul three years ago.”
“The best we can hope for from the technical discussions is a ceasefire, an immediate, unconditional ceasefire that would allow proper peace negotiations to take place,” Barrot said.
According to him, the first trap is holding negotiations while bombs continue to fall on Ukraine. The second trap is forcing Ukraine into demilitarization and preventing it from securing reliable postwar security guarantees from its partners. The third trap involves lifting sanctions on Russia—a point of contention that France believes should not be on the table during early talks.
“These traps caused the previous talks in Istanbul in 2022 to fail,” Barrot emphasized.
He reaffirmed France’s commitment to Ukraine’s involvement in peace negotiations and warned of looming consequences should Russia fail to cooperate:
“We support Ukraine’s efforts to engage in these peace talks. And we are preparing massive sanctions on oil and the financial sector in the event that Putin continues to avoid such negotiations.”
The NATO Foreign Ministers’ informal meeting is taking place in Antalya, Turkey, on May 14–15, with a focus on the evolving diplomatic efforts to bring an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
As The Gaze reported earlier, European foreign ministers issued a united call for peace in Ukraine on Monday, with several top diplomats urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage seriously in negotiations.
Instead of accepting Zelensky’s call for direct talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin has dispatched a team of junior officials to Istanbul, casting doubt over whether negotiations between the two warring nations will proceed at all.
Read more on the Gaze: Next 10–15 Days Could Be Decisive for Peace in Ukraine, Says NATO Chief Rutte