The key facts
- Grigory Karasin considers Zelensky's attempts to secure a meeting with Putin an imitation of activity
- Earlier, Zelensky asked Erdogan to help arrange his meeting with Putin in Turkey
- Karasin suggested waiting for the outcome of the Russia–US–Ukraine consultations in Abu Dhabi
Assessment from the Federation Council
Grigory Karasin, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, criticized Volodymyr Zelensky's attempts to secure a personal meeting with the President of Russia with Turkey's mediation. In an interview with Gazeta.ru, he said that these actions look more like a display of diplomatic activity than real steps toward a settlement, and are marked by excessive haste. “Zelensky's very many contortions show that he wants to imitate activity,” Karasin said.
What preceded it
Earlier, Life.ru reported that Zelensky asked Erdogan to help arrange his meeting with Putin in Turkey. The Ukrainian politician explained the initiative by saying that talks at the technical level had not yet led to a cessation of hostilities, and expressed hope for Ankara's assistance in organizing a direct dialogue.
Betting on Abu Dhabi
In Karasin's view, the upcoming trilateral meeting of delegations from Russia, the United States and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi will show whether Kyiv is genuinely interested in ending the conflict. The senator believes that before discussing new formats of top-level contacts, it is necessary to wait for the outcome of these talks.
