Zelenskyy: Putin Doesn't Feel The Need To End The War, Russia Must Be Witnessed

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy/PHOTO via X @ZelenskyyUa

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the proposed meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin could be canceled if an agreement on a ceasefire between the two countries was agreed upon during technical talks in Istanbul.

The Ukrainian leader said at a press conference in Ankara that if Moscow fails to show a desire to engage in ceasefire talks, then other countries should exert greater political and economic pressure on Russia and impose further sanctions.

"Russia does not feel the need to end (war), which means there is not enough political, economic and other pressure on the Russian Federation," he said.

"So we ask, if there is no ceasefire, if there is no serious decision we ask for appropriate sanctions," Zelenskyy continued.

Previously Zelenskyy said Ukraine would decide on the next steps in talks with Russia after its meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. This statement was in response to the absence of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Istanbul.

Zelenskyy told reporters at Ankara airport the level of the Russian delegation sent to Turkey for talks was a low level and had an unclear mandate.

"The rate of the Russian delegation was not officially known to me, but from what we saw, it appeared more like a decoration level," Zelenskyy said.

"We need to understand what the level of the Russian delegation is, and what mandate they have, and whether they can make any decisions," the Ukrainian president added.

Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian delegation included his foreign ministers, military and intelligence chiefs, as well as senior officials from his office.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his officials and deputy ministers to hold peace negotiations with Ukraine in Turkey on Thursday.

Putin rejected Kyiv's challenge to come directly there to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.