Who is Vladimir Medinsky? Putin's substitute at Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul
Vladimir Putin will not be attending the talks in Turkey's Istanbul about the Ukraine issue. Instead, he has tapped Vladimir Medinsky to handle things.
The direct talks between Russia and Ukraine will be facilitated at Turkey's Istanbul, but Vladimir Putin will not be attending the same, according to a directive by the Kremlin. The Kremlin directive that was published late Wednesday said that Vladimir Medinsky will be handling things on President Putin's behalf.
He will also be joined by Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, and Igor Kostyukov, the head of Russia’s military intelligence agency.
Who is Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation to Turkey?
Vladimir Medinsky will now be a Presidential aide in the Russia-Ukraine talks happening in Turkey's Istanbul. Medinskyn has previously led talks with the country that Russia has been at war with for a few years now. However, those discussions led by him in 2022 yielded no results.
According to The Guardian, Medinsky is a staunch nationalist, and he is known for promoting a heavily revised, administrative version of Russian history, culture and values. His Myths About Russia book series attempts to debunk perceived anti-Russian narratives but has also been widely criticised.
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According to the directive issued by the Kremlin, a group of political and strategic advisers will also be a part of these talks. These include senior officials from the foreign ministry, the defense ministry, or the reigning Presidential administration of Vladimir Putin. This directive did not list Putin as one of the officials who would be attending the meeting.
Zelensky reacts to Kremlin's directive
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has challenged his Russian colleague, meanwhile, claiming that Putin's attendance in Istanbul would decide if Moscow was ready to negotiate in "good faith", according to The Moscow Times' report.
Zelensky also asserted that he would sit down with Putin only in Turkey, and has refused to discuss the ongoing Russia-Ukraine situation with lower-level officials. Meanwhile, a Reuters report says that Donald Trump may skip the negotiation talks in Istanbul. This came soon after the Kremlin published its directive, where Putin's name was not present in the list of delegates attending the talks.
