Russia mocks Ukraine during direct talks, raising suspicion of bad faith

During their initial direct talks following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia challenged Ukrainian sovereignty and undermined the authority of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy arrived in Istanbul for the talks as suggested by his Russian counterpart, accompanied by his foreign and defense ministers. However, instead of Russian President Vladimir Putin, a junior delegation led by ambassador-at-large Rodion Miroshnik attended, without the authority to sign a ceasefire. Russia questioned the legitimacy of the Ukrainian team, with Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova making derogatory remarks about Zelenskyy. The Russian lead negotiator, Rodion Miroshnik, also questioned Zelenskyy’s powers, stating that they had expired due to the absence of a scheduled presidential election last year. The talks saw Ukraine proposing a ceasefire and a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin, which Russia rejected in favor of a prisoner exchange and written ceasefire proposals. Despite the talks, Russia continued its military actions in Ukraine, capturing territory and launching drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. Russia also demanded the surrender of certain regions and insisted on Ukraine’s neutrality in future talks. The US President, Donald Trump, spoke with Putin and encouraged a meeting with Zelenskyy, but doubts lingered about the effectiveness of Trump’s negotiation tactics. Former US ambassador to Kyiv, Bridget Brink, criticized the Trump administration’s policy towards Ukraine, emphasizing the need to hold Russia accountable. European countries and allies like Canada and Australia maintained a tough stance against Russia, imposing sanctions and restrictions to deter further aggression.