Zelenskyy: Russia did not take planned Istanbul negotiations seriously

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the Russian side took a "non-serious" approach to the planned negotiations in Istanbul, Report informs.

Zelenskyy made this statement at a press conference in Ankara following talks with the President of Türkiye.

He stressed that the Russian delegation does not include official representatives authorized to make any decisions.

The Ukrainian leader noted that it was Russia that initiated direct negotiations, which received support, including from US President Donald Trump.

"Despite the low level of participation from the Russian side, Ukraine, as a sign of respect to presidents Trump and Erdogan, will continue to remain committed to peace," he said.

Zelenskyy also stated that the meeting should be held in a quadrilateral format, with the participation of delegations from Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and the United States.