[Anchor]
President Zelensky of Ukraine has proposed a summit, but President Putin of Russia has yet to respond.
With the urgency escalating, President Zelensky is pressing the issue by involving U.S. President Trump daily. Although unlikely, there is a possibility that the three leaders could dramatically meet in Istanbul.
Our correspondent, Cho Soo-hyun in London, reports.
[Reporter]
The scheduled talks between Russia and Ukraine are imminent, yet the success of the summit remains uncertain.
The Russian side has not explicitly declined but is keeping its statements limited.
[Dmitry Peskov / Kremlin Spokesperson: Russia is continuing preparations for the negotiations scheduled for Thursday, the 15th. There are no additional comments at the moment.]
Currently, expectations for the summit’s success are low.
Analysts suggest that if President Putin were to attend, it could convey an impression of conceding by recognizing President Zelensky as a negotiation counterpart, making it difficult for him to agree.
On the contrary, there are speculations that Russia might propose even tougher conditions compared to three years ago, including the full withdrawal of foreign troops.
President Zelensky is continually putting pressure on President Putin.
He expressed that should President Trump attend, it would significantly fuel the push for the summit, repeatedly calling for ‘SOS’.
He argued that if the summit eventually falls through, the West should respond by intensifying sanctions.
[Volodymyr Zelensky / President of Ukraine: If Putin fails to show up for the talks and plays games, I believe it’s a final message that he does not want to end the war.]
After concluding a press conference in Kyiv, President Zelensky immediately headed to Turkey.
Before his Middle East tour, President Trump had left open the possibility of a surprise visit to Turkey and decided to dispatch Secretary of State Rubio and two special envoys to Istanbul.
Optimistic outcomes from the talks are being anticipated, suggesting positive developments.
There remains a possibility that President Trump might make an unexpected appearance at the summit, increasing interest in whether the meeting between the three leaders could dramatically occur.
Reporting from London, this is Cho Soo-hyun for YTN.
Filming: Yoo Hyun-woo
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