NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for sending a low-level delegation to the first direct peace talks with Ukraine in three years, calling it a “big mistake.”
The talks, held in Istanbul on Friday, were initially proposed by Putin. However, hopes were dampened when he declined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s invitation for a high-level meeting in Turkey.
“He knows the ball is in his court, and that he’s made a serious error by sending such a junior team,” Rutte told reporters at a European leaders’ summit in Tirana, Albania. “If Putin is truly serious about peace, he must engage meaningfully.”
The European Political Community meeting brought together EU members and about 20 other nations to show solidarity with Ukraine and increase pressure on Moscow.
Zelensky was scheduled to open the summit, which coincided with the talks in Turkey.
Russia’s delegation is led by Vladimir Medinsky, a hardline adviser known for controversial views on Ukraine and for leading previous failed negotiations in 2022. Ukraine’s team is headed by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, a Crimean native, supported by several deputy officials.
AFP
