Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has presented his perspective on the Istanbul Accords that Russia and Ukraine first intended, but then failed to sign in the spring of 2022. Kyiv was unwilling to make concessions to Moscow, Zelensky said.
The talks in Turkey escalated to "ultimatums from [Russian President Vladimir] Putin."
"They said that I should step down, that they replace me with the pro-Russian [Viktor] Medvedchuk. And I am no longer president," Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian leader explained that the refusal to proceed with the Istanbul negotiations stemmed from a reluctance to accept Russia's stance on Ukraine's neutral status and the issue of the Russian language within the country. He justified this decision by citing the mandate that the Ukrainians had given to him in the 2019 presidential elections, which brought him to power.
In response, Leonid Slutsky, head of the Russian State Duma's Committee on International Affairs, dismissed Zelensky's remarks as manipulative and untruthful. The Istanbul agreements were initialed by David Arakhamia, the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Slutsky emphasized. That was an action that could not have occurred without Zelensky's approval. He pointed out that Russia had withdrawn troops from the Kyiv and Chernihiv directions and was prepared to end hostilities, with Kyiv agreeing to the terms at that time. Slutsky concluded by stating that Zelensky was thus trying to manipulate Europe as the Trump administration decided to freeze aid, including to Kyiv, for 90 days.