Vladimir Zelensky opposed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s proposal to hold peace negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine with the participation of Russia.

He stated this at a joint briefing with the Turkish leader after a meeting in Istanbul. 

During the press conference, Erdogan announced Ankara’s readiness to hold a peace summit with the participation of Russia and Ukraine, but Zelensky was not satisfied with this scenario.

“We do not see representatives of Russia at such a summit... We want to get a result: a just world for Ukraine.

First, civilized countries will develop a plan, and only then representatives of the Russian Federation will be invited,” the STRANA.ua publication quotes the words of the head of the Kyiv regime.

"Fair World"

Refusing to participate in negotiations with Russia on the platform of third countries, Kyiv is simultaneously developing activity in holding the so-called global peace summit in Switzerland.

While visiting this country on January 15, Zelensky hinted that Russia would not be invited to this meeting.

  • Vladimir Zelensky in the EU

  • Gettyimages.ru

  • © Omar Havana

“We are open to all countries of the world that respect our sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Therefore, draw your conclusions about who we invite,” the Ukrainian “European Truth” quotes him as saying.

At the same time, Zelensky said that he would like to see representatives of the countries of the Global South at this summit, since for Kyiv “it is very important to show that the whole world is against Russian aggression and the whole world is for a just world.”

Later, on February 25, speaking at the conference “Ukraine.

Year 2024,” the head of Zelensky’s office, Andriy Ermak, said that invitations had been sent to 106 countries for the “first inaugural summit” in Switzerland.

However, he did not name the exact date of the conference, limiting himself to the wording “in the near future.”

However, according to Ermak, at this event a plan for resolving the conflict will allegedly be developed based on the Ukrainian “peace formula”, which will then be presented to the Russian side.

“At the second summit, we assume that when this plan is created... without intermediaries, openly, with the participation of all these countries that will walk this path with us... there may be a situation where we invite together representatives of the Russian Federation, where they this plan will be presented and given,” Evropeiskaya Pravda quotes Ermak as saying.

The head of Zelensky’s administration added that the essence of a “just world” in Kyiv’s understanding “is set out in our “peace formula.”

Let us recall that Zelensky presented the so-called peace formula in 2022, speaking via video link at the G20 summit.

This formula consists of ten points, which include, among other things, the cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of Russian troops and the return of Ukraine to the 1991 borders.

At the same time, there is not a word in the document about introducing a ceasefire or holding direct negotiations with Russia.

Moscow has previously repeatedly noted that this formula is “a set of ultimatum demands divorced from reality” to Russia and is not a plan for a peaceful resolution of the situation.

Commenting on Kyiv’s activity in promoting its “peace formula,” the Kremlin emphasized that any discussions of a peaceful settlement without Russia’s participation are futile. 

“Basically, it's talking for the sake of talking.

This is a process that is not and cannot be aimed (directed -

RT

) at achieving a specific result for an obvious and simple reason: we are not participating there,” Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters. 

In turn, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking in February at the conference “Euromaidan: Ukraine’s Lost Decade,” said that the Ukrainian “peace formula” is a dummy, to which the West is actually deceiving representatives of neutral countries.

“When the countries of the Global South and the Global East are lured to gatherings that are organized to promote this “peace formula,” they are told: “Well, okay, we understand that you don’t like this, we understand that you say that without Russia there is no point.” -discuss, but you will simply support food security, sign up for one point.”

That is, these are thimble holders,” the head of Russian diplomacy emphasized.

"No prerequisites"

Vladimir Zelensky wants to determine how negotiations to resolve the situation in Ukraine will take place so that the laurels of a peacemaker ultimately go to him, said Doctor of Political Sciences Andrei Manoilo in an interview with RT.

“Zelensky really wants to be the central figure organizing the negotiation process itself, because this will allow him to somehow save face in the event of a complete military defeat of Ukraine.

If Erdogan does this, then the laurels will go to him.

In addition, Erdogan or another formally neutral moderator will significantly limit Zelensky’s intentions to introduce certain points into these negotiations,” the political scientist said.

  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia

  • globallookpress.com

  • © Vladimir Baranov

Zelensky views holding conferences on the “peace formula” as an opportunity to create the appearance of successful diplomatic work against the backdrop of his other failures.

In addition, by cruising around the world with his “formula”, Zelensky is trying to assert himself and put himself on the same level as other world leaders, Andrei Manoilo added.

“Zelensky, from a completely bankrupt and devalued politician, wants to become a kind of Nelson Mandela - a world-class leader who organizes summits either in Geneva or on another continent.

This is Zelensky’s opportunistic, personal desire.

That’s why Erdogan’s initiative doesn’t suit him,” RT’s interlocutor emphasized.

On the other hand, we should not forget that the Kiev regime must receive approval for any third-party peace initiatives from its supervisors in London and Washington, Manoilo noted.

“Zelensky and his administration are not independent and are completely dependent on Washington.

They can show initiative only to a very limited extent.

These people can agree to any of Erdogan’s initiatives only after receiving an order from Washington or London.

Apparently, there are no such orders yet, which is why they are marking time,” the analyst explained.

At the same time, Zelensky’s “formula” itself is drawn up in such a way that it deliberately excludes a bilateral negotiation process with Russia on its basis, Manoilo emphasized.

“This “formula” is a priori unacceptable for Russia.

Consequently, when such obviously unacceptable things are put forward, they are put forward not in order to start the negotiation process, but in order to create the illusion that the Ukrainian side is striving for this process, and Russia is supposedly ignoring it.

This is not a formula for negotiations, not for ending the conflict - this is PR for Studio Kvartal-95,” the expert stated.

All paths aimed at a peaceful resolution of the crisis are currently a dead end, since Zelensky and his administration are at the other end.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has already realized this, and now Erdogan and other potential mediators should realize this, believes Andrei Manoilo.

In turn, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry Vladimir Shtol believes that Zelensky and his entourage are making every effort to ensure that the negotiation process cannot be implemented.

“Zelensky, throughout the entire period of the SVO, is doing everything possible to prevent such negotiations from taking place.

At the first negotiations in Istanbul, agreements were almost reached, but Kyiv stopped them on instructions from London.

Since then, he has been promoting his “peace formula.”

However, without Russia’s participation, no negotiations are possible; they are futile,” the expert emphasized.

Moscow has repeatedly noted that in the absence of a negotiating track, the Russian side will achieve its goals through military means, Stohl recalled.

“There are certain military tasks, the implementation of which continues, the liberation of Donbass continues.

There can be no talk of any “peace formula”, which actually provides for the surrender of the Russian Federation.

But in Kyiv and in the West, fevered minds continue to come up with formats that fit into their desire to win a military victory over the Russian Federation.

However, now they are faced with even greater problems - contradictions are flaring up within the Western group itself.

Therefore, there are no prerequisites for Moscow to agree to such unacceptable conditions,” concluded RT’s interlocutor.