Putin asked for talks — now he must show up, says French FM

The French foreign minister made this statement following a meeting of the Weimar+ format foreign ministers in London, a Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“Putin proposed direct contact with Volodymyr Zelensky, to which Zelensky agreed. Vladimir Putin must now fulfill his part of the deal and appear in Istanbul on Thursday for a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky,” Barrot said.

He also stressed that a ceasefire is essential for successful peace talks.

“In order for the negotiations to proceed calmly and lead to peace, it is absolutely necessary to establish a ceasefire, because you cannot negotiate under bombs and drone strikes,” the French minister stated.

As reported, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs (the so-called Weimar+ group) issued a joint statement after their meeting in London, urging Russia to demonstrate its commitment to peace.

Photo: screenshot from video