Vladimir Putin kept the world to guess and got what he wanted.
“No.” This was the simple answer that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov gave me when I asked him this Thursday, if there was still a hypothesis that Russian President Vladimir Putin appears in the talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul.
While Ukraine and its allies have spoken to press Russia finally agreeing with a 30-day unconditional ceasefire and to fly to Istanbul for direct conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said he would be waiting for Russian President Vladimir Putin once again to act in his own time and his own time.
Neither Zelensky, nor an alliance of European top leaders, nor US President Donald Trump determined the rhythm, format, or previous conditions for the conversations – was Vladimir Putin that did so.
On Sunday morning, when I was among a small group of journalists waiting for Putin to react to an initiative of Kiev and the Europeans who required an immediate ceasefire, the Russian leader finally came close to two in the morning, saying that he would start direct conversations Russia-Ucrania in Istanbul on 15 May.
Ukraine reacted by saying that first a ceasefire was needed and that the conversations had to be done directly between the two leaders and not at delegation level. Trump said he was ready to fly to Istanbul.
Now the May 15th has arrived. Vladimir Putin does not come, the Russians sent a delegation led by a high Kremlin guardian and the conversation about a direct ceasefire practically evaporated.
President Trump said he never believed Putin came.
“Why would he go if I won’t?” Asked Trump.
But the reality is that it is the Russian leader who is giving orders.
