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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being too “afraid” to turn up for face-to-face peace talks in Istanbul, as direct negotiations erupted in accusations.
Zelensky, speaking at a meeting of European leaders in Albania, said Istanbul presented “a real chance to take important steps towards ending this war, if only Putin had not been afraid to come to Turkey.”
He added “not just for a meeting, but to resolve all the important issues,” but Putin “didn’t agree to anything”.
But an unnamed senior Ukrainian official at the peace talks in Istanbul taking place on Friday accused Moscow of introducing “unacceptable demands” that had not been previously discussed, The Associated Press reported.
This included calls for Kyiv’s forces to withdraw from large swaths of territory they control for a complete ceasefire to be implemented.
The official said it seemed as if the Russian delegation “deliberately wants to throw nonstarters on the table in order to walk away from today’s meeting without any results.”
Another Ukrainian diplomatic source, also speaking anonymously, told Reuters that “Russian demands are detached from reality and go far beyond anything that was previously discussed.”
“They include ultimatums for Ukraine to withdraw from its territory for a ceasefire and other non-starters and non-constructive conditions,” the source told Reuters.
This is a breaking news story and more information will be added soon.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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