Russia could be behind narrative claiming Erdogan came to Ukraine to convey Putin’s ultimatum - official

Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the head of the President's Office, considers the ongoing circulation of narratives claiming that Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was supposed to convey to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine substantial proposals or ultimatums regarding negotiations with Russia, part of the propaganda campaign pursued by the Russians.

The official touched on the topic in an interview with Channel 24, Ukrinform reports.

"It seems to me that a lot of reports claiming that Erdogan brought some ultimatum from Putin and that he would offer something are an element of a large information program run by the Russian Federation. Why? Russia used to work primitively with their propaganda, so it was quite easy for us to work out an informational counteroffensive. Today it looks a little more complicated as they (the Russians - ed.) build more complex structures, seek to add some real facts somewhere and thus create a thrill: look, Erdogan is such a powerful player in the region, he is really a mediator who can really convey important proposals from one side or the other," Podolyak noted.

At the same time, he emphasized that it’s only Ukraine that will shape the ultimate agenda for negotiations.

As reported, after a meeting with the President of Turkey and the UN Secretary General on August 19, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the Russian Federation cannot be trusted, so negotiations with Russia will only be possible after all Russian troops have withdrawn from the Ukrainian territories that are now temporarily occupied.