Differences in Understanding the Preparation for the Ukraine-Russia Summit: Jeljal Explains
Expectations and interpretations of the upcoming meeting between Ukrainian and Russian presidents vary significantly between Kyiv and Moscow.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Turkey, Nariman Jeljal, in an interview with RBK Ukraine, emphasized that both sides have different perceptions regarding the logic and sequence of preparations for a possible summit.
He explained that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is inclined towards holding a meeting within a framework that sets clear boundaries for the continued work of technical groups from Kyiv and Moscow.
This approach, according to him, will facilitate the coordination of main issues before the actual summit takes place.
Conversely, in the Kremlin, the situation is viewed differently: they believe that the first step should be reaching agreements between the diplomatic teams conducting negotiations, and only then can discussions about ceasefire or the summit itself begin.
Jeljal highlighted that Russia insists that progress in negotiations should precede the meeting, and claims that Kyiv wants to 'cover its bases' and demands a ceasefire before official talks commence.
Ukrainian officials propose a pause in hostilities during negotiations, whereas, as Jeljal states, Russia aims to keep the situation tense and continue military actions even during diplomatic consultations.
These sharply contrasting positions and approaches to negotiations create significant obstacles toward reaching mutual agreements.