Putin making an attempt to achieve time in talks with Ukraine, former French envoy to Russia says | EUROtoday

Ukraine and Russia are holding their first direct talks in three years this Thursday, however Russian President Vladimir Putin is skipping them, after his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky challenged him to a face-to-face assembly. Instead, a lower-level Russian delegation has been despatched to Istanbul for the negotiations. After touchdown in Ankara for a gathering with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Zelensky was set to resolve whether or not he would attend the talks, having beforehand mentioned that he would solely participate if Putin did too. Former French ambassador to Russia, Claude Blanchemaison, provides us his perception in our Perspective programme.
https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/perspective/20250515-putin-trying-to-gain-time-in-talks-with-ukraine-former-french-envoy-to-russia-says