MOSCOW, May 17. /TASS/. Vladimir Zelensky failed to disrupt the talks in Istanbul and has tightened the noose around his neck even further with his behavior, the head of the Other Ukraine movement, ex-leader of the banned Opposition Platform - for Life party Viktor Medvedchuk stated.
"Zelensky's attempt to sabotage the negotiations and blame Russia for everything has so far failed. The illegitimate one keeps jumping around like a cat on a hot tin roof as circumstances worsen for him by the day. The negotiation process in Istanbul turned into a tale of Zelensky first rejecting proposals, then agreeing to them," he wrote in his article on the Smotrim.ru website.
Initially, Zelensky opposed any talks but, after what Medvedchuk described as "Trump's kick," sent his delegation to Istanbul. "Upon reaching Ankara, the political clown began shouting that Russia had sent a ‘sham’ delegation. He hoped the Western media would amplify his outcry, declare him a hero, and allow him to return to Kiev in triumph. However, this scenario was doomed from the outset," Medvedchuk said.
He noted that concrete outcomes from the Istanbul meeting had already begun to take shape. The sides agreed to exchange 1,000 POWs each. Zelensky, he added, fled to Albania to appeal to the "coalition of the willing," while "the main intrigue now centers on the potential meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump."
Russia and Ukraine held negotiations in Istanbul on Friday. Following the meeting, both sides agreed on the POW exchange, to present detailed proposals for a ceasefire, and to continue dialogue. Head of Russia’s delegation, Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky, said Moscow was satisfied with the results and acknowledged Ukraine’s request for direct talks between the leaders.