He also explained how Zelensky would be able to hold a direct meeting with Putin given the ban on direct negotiations.

Podoliak answered whether Zelensky would meet with anyone other than Putin in Istanbul / photo by Kovalchuk Viktor UNIAN

Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office, Mykhailo Podolyak , spoke on The Breakfast Show about whether Zelensky would meet with other Russian representatives in Istanbul on May 15 if Putin did not go there.

“No, of course. This is not a format. The president cannot meet… We understand the structure of power in Russia. And it is clear that even people with the formal status of ministers are hardly authorized to make certain decisions. Only Putin can make decisions to continue or stop the war,” Podoliak said.

He also explained how Zelensky would be able to hold a direct meeting with Putin given the ban on direct negotiations.

“I think that changes will be made to this decision of the National Security and Defense Council. And if we go to sign some legally verified document, I think that legal adjustments will be made… It will be legally simple to make a decision of the National Security and Defense Council, the necessary legal regulatory norms will be adopted,” Podoliak explained.

(C)UNIAN 2025