Zelensky called for "strong" Western action against Moscow if peace talks in Istanbul fail
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday said called for "strong" Western action against Moscow if peace talks that will be held in Istanbul fail.
"We had a real chance to take important steps toward ending this war if only Putin had not been afraid to come to Turkey," Zelensky told European leaders in Tirana.
"If it turns out that the Russian delegation really is just theatrical and can't deliver any results today... there needs to be a strong reaction, including sanctions against Russia's energy sector and banks," he said.
Negotiators from both the countries will meet today on Friday for the first peace talks after more than three years. However, expectations for a major announcement were dampened after US President Donald Trump said that there would be no movement without a meeting between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky accused Putin of not agreeing with his meeting requests to "resolve all the important issues". He said, "I was ready for a direct meeting with Putin, whether in Ankara or in Istanbul, and not just for a meeting but to resolve all the important issues. But he didn't agree with anything I put to him."
He said that Ukraine's first priority is a "full, unconditional, and honest ceasefire", which he said "must happen immediately to stop the killing and create a solid basis for diplomacy".
"And if the Russian representatives in Istanbul today cannot even agree to that, to ceasefire, to this clearly necessary first step, then it will be 100 percent clear that Putin continues to undermine diplomacy," he added.
