Zelenskyy urges Putin to grant real powers to Russian delegation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to grant his country’s negotiating team “real powers.”

Zelenskyy made the statement on his official Telegram channel, Caliber.Az reports.

“Ukraine is ready to take all realistic steps to bring this war to an end. I urge Putin to give his delegation real authority,” the Ukrainian leader said.

Zelenskyy added that Russia had sent a delegation of “very low rank” to Istanbul.

“There is not a single person among them who is actually in a position to make decisions in Russia,” he noted.

To recall, the first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in more than three years ended in under two hours on May 16, with no visible progress in narrowing the gulf between the sides. A Ukrainian source described Moscow’s demands as “non-starters”.

Delegations met in Türkiye for their first face-to-face dialogue since March 2022, shortly after Russia’s invasion. However, the talks underscored the deep divisions between the parties. The Ukrainian source told Reuters Russia’s demands were “detached from reality and go far beyond anything that was previously discussed”.

“They included 'non-starters and non-constructive conditions,'” the source added, speaking on condition of anonymity. There was no immediate response from the Russian delegation.

Expectations for progress were already low and dipped further on May 15, when U.S. President Donald Trump, wrapping up a Middle East tour, said no movement was likely without a meeting between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated Kyiv’s top priority: “a full, unconditional and honest ceasefire... to stop the killing and create a solid basis for diplomacy”. He added that failure by Russia to agree should be met with new sanctions targeting its energy sector and banks.

While Moscow says it seeks to end the war diplomatically and is open to ceasefire talks, it has voiced concerns that Ukraine might exploit any pause to regroup and bolster its forces with Western arms. Kyiv and its allies accuse Putin of stalling and question his commitment to peace.

By Aghakazim Guliyev