Putin Isn’t Yet Ready for Talks With Zelensky, Turkish Official Says

BRUSSELS — President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine known as publicly on Saturday for direct negotiations with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, however a senior Turkish official mentioned that Mr. Putin was not prepared for such talks.

“Zelensky is able to meet, however Putin thinks that the positions to have this assembly on the leaders’ stage aren’t shut sufficient but,” Ibrahim Kalin, a chief adviser and spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, mentioned in an interview.

Turkey and Mr. Erdogan are taking part in a big mediating function between Russia and Ukraine, looking for a path towards a longer-term cease-fire and critical negotiations on a peaceable decision to a brutal struggle that has lasted greater than three weeks. Mr. Erdogan spoke to each Mr. Zelensky and Mr. Putin on Thursday to gauge their positions, and Mr. Kalin was on the decision.

The Turkish official mentioned that Mr. Putin not advocated changing Mr. Zelensky however “now accepts the truth of Zelensky because the chief of the Ukrainian folks, whether or not he likes it or not.”

“I consider that assembly will happen in some unspecified time in the future,” Mr. Kalin mentioned. “There will probably be a peace deal in some unspecified time in the future. After all, all of us need this to occur sooner fairly than later, however most likely Putin thinks that he needs to be able of power when he does that, and never look like weak, weakened by both navy losses or by the financial sanctions.”