Putin misses opportunity offered by Zelensky – NATO Secretary General

This was stated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a press conference in Antalya at an informal meeting of Alliance foreign ministers, according to a Ukrinform correspondent.

“The Russians are sending a low-level delegation and not taking up the opportunity President Zelensky has been proving as he said: ‘I’m he ready to sit with Putin’. As soon as there’s a ceasefire there, we’re willing to negotiate a peace deal, so Ukraine is clearly ready to play ball. But that ball is now in Russian court,” Rutte said.

Rutte emphasized that any ceasefire or peace agreement aimed at ending Russia’s war against Ukraine must be ‘lasting and durable’ to avoid a repeat of the failed 2014–2015 Minsk Agreements, which were essentially violated “when the ink was not dry.”

“We cannot have that repeated. Peace has to be lasting, it has to be durable...The ball is clearly in Russia’s court,” Rutte added.

As reported by Ukrinform, on May 10 Ukraine and its allies – France, Germany, the UK, and Poland – proposed a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. In case of refusal, Ukraine’s partners intend to ramp up sanctions against Russia.

Later, Putin suggested resuming direct negotiations with Ukraine “where they were interrupted” in 2022 – in Istanbul, Türkiye.

On Wednesday, the Kremlin confirmed the list of delegates for the talks with Ukraine in Istanbul. Putin is not among them — the delegation is led by his aide Vladimir Medinsky.

Photo: AA