Poland believes Türkiye talks tested Russia's intentions

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski holds out little hope for a breakthrough in the Russo-Ukrainian war after talks between the delegations of the two nations took place in Türkiye on 16 May, though he believes that it was a test of Russia's intentions.

Source: Sikorski in an interview with German newspaper Tagesspiegel, as reported by European Pravda

Details: When asked to comment on the talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Türkiye, Sikorski noted that he was not very hopeful that they would "lead to a breakthrough".

"But you never know," he said. "This is a test of Russia's intentions. If Russia doesn't agree to a ceasefire or makes outrageous demands, it will only confirm our view that Putin is not ready for peace."

Sikorski also believes that Türkiye, which hosted the first Russo-Ukrainian talks since 2022, is playing a "very clever game". While supplying Kyiv with military aid, it simultaneously hosts "millions of Russian tourists".

Background:

• On 16 May, talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations were held in Istanbul. Media reports indicated that Moscow had demanded the absence of US representatives from the negotiations with Ukraine and had presented a number of unacceptable conditions to Kyiv.
• Following the meeting, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umierov noted that the discussions had covered a ceasefire, humanitarian issues and the possibility of a leader-level meeting.

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