Zelenskyy on Putin’s visit to Istanbul: There are chances, but he is afraid
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he does not believe that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will come to Istanbul on May 15 for direct talks with him, although there are still chances.
The head of state said this in an interview with Spiegel, Censor.NET reports.
Zelenskyy recalled a telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
According to him, he told his Turkish counterpart that he was satisfied with any place for the meeting, but "Ankara is better."
"First of all, I don't really believe that Putin himself is capable of meeting. It seems to me that he is afraid. Although, if he feels a strong blow to his economy, will his people, the Russians, feel it too? Therefore, in my opinion, there are still chances for his visit," the head of state emphasized.
When asked to specify the percentage of the likelihood of Putin's visit, Zelenskyy replied that he did not know.
"But I do know that as soon as it is announced that I am meeting with Erdogan in Ankara, the Russians will say: look how the Ukrainians are already postponing the meeting. And then the manipulations begin. So I said: tell Turkey that I am also ready to meet in Istanbul," the president said.
Zelenskyy added that he was ready to go to Istanbul if Putin came there in person and expressed confidence that the Turkish leader would fly there with him.
