Zelenskyy Calls for Russia Serious Sanctions If Istanbul Talks Fail
If the Russian delegation at the Istanbul talks fails to deliver results in the form of a ceasefire, serious sanctions should be imposed on Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his speech at the European Political Community summit in Albania, which brought together leaders from almost all over Europe.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to European Pravda.
Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine's priority is a full, unconditional and fair ceasefire, which should take place immediately.
"If the Russian representatives in Istanbul today cannot agree even to this, to a ceasefire, to this obviously necessary first step, then it will be one hundred per cent clear that Putin continues to undermine diplomatic efforts," Zelenskyy said.
If this is not the case, the President noted, then the talks in Istanbul should result in a ceasefire.
The President drew attention to the fact that Russia had sent almost the same people to Istanbul as in 2022.
"They demonstrate that Russia has not changed its basic approach. They make a lot of statements, a lot of threats, but they don't solve anything. They are doing everything to turn this meeting in Istanbul into a staged empty process, just like in 2022," Zelenskyy said, noting that the Russians are disrupting the negotiations.
"So if it turns out that the Russian delegation is really playing theatre and cannot achieve any results today, the world must react. A strong reaction is needed, including sanctions against Russia's energy sector and banks. The pressure must continue until real progress is made. Ukraine is ready to take all realistic measures to put an end to this war," Zelenskyy said.
The president called on Putin to "give his delegation real powers" to "completely stop the killings for a time sufficient to give diplomacy a real chance."
On 16 May, direct talks between Russia and Ukraine began in Istanbul for the first time in more than three years.
As The Gaze reported earlier, Russia continues to show no interest in compromise during the Istanbul talks, instead demanding Ukraine's de facto capitulation while rejecting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's invitation for direct talks, according to a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The ISW noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to engage in high-level talks and instead dispatched a delegation of junior officials, led by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, replicating the 2022 negotiation team that had previously demanded Ukraine's surrender.