Zelensky Says More Russia Talks ‘Pointless’ With Current Delegations

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that to continue peace talks in Istanbul between Ukraine and Russia with the current delegations is senseless, and he has again called for talks with Vladimir Putin, after complaining that the Russian leader is sending junior officials who have no decision-making capacity. 

“We are ready for exchanges, but to continue diplomatic meetings in Istanbul at a level that does not solve anything further, I think, is pointless,” Zelensky said at a press conference, referring to the latest prisoner of war (POW) swaps.

He had described just after the Monday Istanbul meeting that the delegations “exchanged documents through the Turkish side, and we are preparing a new release of prisoners of the war.”

They agreed to another large prisoner swap, but little else, as the Russian side has continued to press demands that Ukraine forces leave the four eastern territories annexed by Russia.

But it’s what preceded the talks which speaks the loudest, as Ukraine launched its ‘Operation Spider’s Web’ deep inside Russian territory, taking out many Russian aircraft including long-range strategic bombers in what was arguably Ukraine’s most successful and brazen cross-border operation to day.

Over the weekend, three bridges in Russia’s south were also blown up in suspected Ukrainian sabotage operations, which left trains derailed, and killed at least seven people.

Following that, on Tuesday underwater explosives damaged and briefly crippled Kerch Bridge in what Ukrainian media is calling a ‘message to Putin’. So clearly by the looks of it, Ukraine doesn’t seem too interested in being at the negotiating table, after complaining that it won’t cede to pressure from Washington on giving up territory.

The timing of Sunday’s huge drone operation strongly points to Zelensky’s desire to come up with greater leverage before serious negotiations are had. For now it seems Kiev wants to sabotage the Istanbul process, while rejecting Trump efforts for a hasty settlement.

For both rounds of talks, Putin had tapped his aide and former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky to lead. From the start many Western analysts claimed this was an ‘insult’ given that it is not someone more senior. Medinsky, it should be remembered, oversaw the failed 2022 peace talks with Kiev in the weeks after the February invasion.

Gathered around Medinsky were a group of mid-ranking advisers, including officials from the Foreign and Defense Ministries, along with Putin aides – but there was no Lavrov there or someone equivalent to his stature.