Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Chief Vasyl Malyuk, and General Staff Chief Andrii Hnatov are among those accompanying President Volodymyr Zelensky in Turkey ahead of potential peace talks with Russia on May 15, videos released by the Ukrainian media revealed.
In addition, Presidential Office Head Andriy Yermak and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha joined Zelensky for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.
A Russian delegation has also arrived to meet with Ukrainian representatives for peace talks in Istanbul — without Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin has rejected Ukraine's invitation for an in-person meeting of the two leaders, appointing presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky to lead the Russian delegation.
Zelensky is expected to decide on his next steps regarding peace talks with Russia after meeting with Erdogan.
"We need to understand what the level of the Russian delegation is, what their mandate is, and whether they are capable of making decisions on their own," he said after arriving in Ankara.
"Because we all know who makes decisions in Russia," he added, saying Moscow appears to have sent a "sham" delegation.
The ceasefire is reportedly the only topic that the Ukrainian side was open to discussing with Russia in Turkey.
Martin Fornusek
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