Zelensky outsmarted himself — mass media

The actions of Vladimir Zelensky on the eve of the talks in Istanbul caused the failure of the Ukrainian delegation. This is reported by the Spanish newspaper Público.

"What at first seemed to Zelensky to be an idea for provocation turned into a hasty and inconsistent decision that simply gives Moscow a reason to continue fighting and rely on continuing dialogue with Washington, and not with Kiev," RIA Novosti quotes.

The author believes that the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, was extremely unhappy with how quickly Zelensky acted and his offer to Russian leader Vladimir Putin to meet in Istanbul.

"That is why Washington chooses a formula that has yielded certain results since Trump came to power, namely— direct contacts with Moscow," the article further says.

Last week, the head of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, took the initiative to resume direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia without any preconditions. He also noted that he does not exclude the possibility of achieving a real truce, which will be respected by the Ukrainian side.

On Friday, negotiations took place, which lasted almost two hours. Vladimir Medinsky, the presidential aide leading the Russian delegation, reported on a large-scale prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine. According to him, it is planned to exchange in the format of 1,000 to 1,000.

Medinsky also noted that Moscow and Kiev agreed to discuss the prospects for a cease-fire. The Ukrainian side expressed a desire to hold a meeting of the heads of state, and Russia took note of this.

The Russian side expressed its readiness to continue negotiations with Ukraine.