UKRAINE is now piling the pressure on Russia as Vladimir Putin stays silent on his own offer to meet for peace talks on Thursday.
Moscow’s bungle has seen Volodymyr Zelenksy take up for long-awaited negotiations .
But the Kremlin has gone deathly silent as Putin weighs rejecting the offer he sent to the Ukrainians.
Zelensky has filled the dead air and now said he will definitely go to Istanbul – but will only meet with his counterpart Putin and not any other members of a Russian delegation.
The Ukrainian is pressing his diplomatic advantage and says Putin is being “very strangely silent”;; about his own offer.
Zelensky said: “Russian shelling and assaults continue. Moscow remained silent all day regarding the proposal for a direct meeting. A very strange silence.
“One way or another, Russia will have to end this war – and the sooner, the better.”;;
Some in Russia have responded to the possible talks.
The deputy speaker of Russia’s upper house said Zelensky’s proposal to meet Putin was “comedy and spectacle”;;.
Konstantin Kosachev said Zelensky should “be afraid”;; of meeting Putin.
He said: “High-level meetings, especially under such difficult circumstances, are absolutely not arranged this way.”;;
Another Putin crony denied there had been an invite in the first place and backtracked over the offer.
Vladimir Dzhabarov, deputy chair of the Federation Council’s foreign affairs committee, said the invite did simply not exist.
He said: “Who invited him toIstanbul?
“Does hereally think our president would meet personally with someone who has blood onhis hands, who betrayed the memory ofthe great heroism ofboth Ukrainians and the entire Soviet people — the heroism ofhis own grandfather?
“Who ishe, that weshould sit down with him atthe negotiating table?”;;
Trump has suggested he could join Zelensky and Putin in Istanbul for the talks.
The US President said on Monday he was considering flying to Istanbul and he had a good feeling about the talks.
The two leaders are jockeying for favour with Donald Trump – as they try to get the American on their side.
Ukraine wants America to keep supporting it in its valiant war, while Moscow wants Washington to cut support and acquiesce to Putin conquering his neighbour.
Zelensky said: “Ukraine would appreciate it if President Trump could be there with us at this meeting in Turkey. This is the right idea. We can change a lot.”;;
He added: “I will be in Turkey. I hope that the Russians will not evade the meeting.”;;
Any meeting would come in the wake of anstern, unified warning to Putinfrom the leaders of France, Germany, Poland and the UK to sign a 30-day ceasefire agreement or face crippling sanctions.
Putin has said he wants peace, but is continuing to attack Ukraine and launch brutal drone attacks.
Hundreds of suicide bomber drones were launched by Russia at Ukraine over the weekend striking in civilian areas.
Sunday’s attackcame just after a 1am Moscow press conference where Putin dramatically rejected a month-long ceasefire but insisted Russia wasready to resume direct peace talks in Istanbul on Thursday.
Zelensky wants an immediate pause in fighting saying “we expect a ceasefire from [Monday] – complete and lasting, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy.
“There is no point in prolonging the killings.”;;
