The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, expressed his position on the situation surrounding the Ukrainian-Russian conflict and the negotiations in Turkey on May 16. According to him, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not appear for the scheduled talks, which Merz believes is a sign of the Russian leader’s wrongdoing.
This is reported by Kyiv24
In his statement on the social network X (Twitter), the incident of Putin’s absence is described as a “huge concession” from Ukraine and its President Volodymyr Zelensky. Merz added that a new package of sanctions against Russia is already prepared and will be discussed in Brussels on Tuesday, May 20.
Reactions from Ukraine and Western countries
Earlier, Zelensky emphasized his willingness to personally discuss issues with Putin; however, the participation of the Russian president in the negotiations in Turkey was not confirmed. On the evening of May 14, the Kremlin announced the composition of the delegation, which does not include Putin.
“Putin did not show up – and this indicates that he is the only one in the wrong”
Furthermore, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot noted that Russia sent a technical delegation to Turkey to avoid new sanctions. Such actions raise concerns among Western countries regarding Russia’s further steps in the context of international sanctions regimes.