The Ukrainian president likened Russian negotiators dispatched to Istanbul to “theater props,” as direct talks between both sides remain uncertain.

President Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, began in Ankara on May 15, Turkey's state news agency Anadolu reported.

President Volodymyr Zelensky considers his arrival in Turkey to be a “clear message” for Russian President Vladimir Putin. — Ukrinform.

Ukraine had framed Zelensky's demand for a face-to-face meeting with Putin as a test of Russia's true willingness to negotiate peace. Arriving in Turkey, he slammed the Russian delegation as "theatrical" and contrasted it to Ukraine's high-level group.

The Ukrainian and Russian delegations arrived in different Turkish cities. President Vladimir V. Putin was not there. Neither was President Trump.

As he heads to Turkey for negotiations, Zelensky is betting that Trump will soon realize that Russia does not want to make peace.