Success of negotiations in Turkey will depend on whether Russia shows up for talks and in what format - Rutte
Ukraine demonstrates its readiness to commit to a ceasefire and immediate negotiations, while Russia must explain its intentions and the level of its delegation.
According to Censor.NET, with reference to Ukrinform, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said this before an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
"It is obvious that Ukraine is ready for a ceasefire and immediate negotiations. This is absolutely clear. The ball is now on the Russian side: they have to explain what they are doing, why they are here or why they are not here, with which team, and everything else. But we probably all understand that the ball is on their side of the field. Ukraine wants to start negotiations as soon as possible," Rutte emphasized.
According to him, Kyiv wants to start negotiations as soon as possible.
"Now it's up to the Russians to make sure they take the next necessary steps," the NATO Secretary General said.
He noted that thanks to the American side and President Trump, the "deadlock" in the settlement process in Ukraine was broken, and now it is up to the Russians to take the next steps.
"Turkey plays a big role here because Turkey has good relations with all the relevant partners... who will help bring these negotiations to a good end. So Turkey is important," he said.
The NATO chief expressed "cautious optimism" that progress could be made in the coming weeks, but only if the Russian side demonstrates a constructive approach.
"If the Russians show up with an appropriate delegation, we need to see what happens in the coming days. I'm still cautiously optimistic that if the Russians are also willing to 'play ball' and not just the Ukrainians are doing it, then we could achieve some breakthroughs in the next few weeks. I am still cautiously optimistic," Rutte emphasized.
As a reminder, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has officially approved the composition of the delegation that will travel to Istanbul on May 15 for talks with Ukraine. According to the document, the negotiating team will include: Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin.
