The political scientist noted Zelensky's attempts to create uncertainty on the issue of negotiations

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky tried to create uncertainty about the meeting with the Russian delegation in Istanbul. This opinion was shared with Izvestia on May 15 by Alexei Zudin, a political scientist and senior lecturer at MGIMO University of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

Earlier in the day, Zelensky said he would make a decision on negotiations with the Russian Federation in Istanbul after meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.

According to Zudin, such a statement by the Ukrainian leader fits into his standard behavior, which many have already become accustomed to — "furnishing" all their decisions with various conditions.

"With this statement, he created some uncertainty in the expectation that this uncertainty would affect the Russian negotiators," the political scientist stressed.

Denis Denisov, an expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, in an interview with Izvestia, in turn, said that when looking at the composition of the Russian delegation, it becomes obvious that the Russian Federation wants to maintain a certain continuity to the negotiations in Turkey that took place in 2022 and try to adapt those agreements to new conditions.

Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will begin soon in Istanbul. What the media is writing

On May 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated direct negotiations, inviting the Ukrainian side to resume dialogue on May 15 in Istanbul.

On the eve of the meeting, he approved the composition of experts for negotiations with Kiev. The delegation will be headed by Vladimir Medinsky, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation. On the same day, the Head of state held a meeting to prepare for the upcoming dialogue.