Lavrov calls Zelenskyy "miserable person" over demand for Putin’s presence at Istanbul talks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, calling him a "miserable person" for demanding that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally attend the peace talks in Istanbul.

“He runs around demanding that Putin come in person. Yes, a miserable person. Then his senior comrades explained to him that one should not behave so stupidly, and that negotiations must take place,” Lavrov said, mocking Zelenskyy’s insistence on a direct meeting with the Russian leader.

Zelenskyy arrived in Ankara today for scheduled talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He has stated that he is ready to travel to Istanbul for negotiations if Putin agrees to attend as well. However, the Kremlin confirmed on May 14 that Putin would not join the talks. Instead, Russia’s delegation will be headed by his aide Vladimir Medinsky.

The Russian delegation, already in Istanbul, includes:

- Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin

- Chief of the General Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces Igor Kostyukov

- Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin

On the US side, Donald Trump’s representative Steve Witkoff confirmed that he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will also travel to Istanbul on Friday to join the ongoing negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

Earlier this week, President Putin offered to resume peace talks with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul, signaling Moscow’s willingness to engage diplomatically, with Turkey playing a mediating role. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on May 13 that a Russian delegation would be present and waiting for the Ukrainian side, though did not initially disclose its composition.

Zelenskyy, for his part, has continued to push for high-level, in-person talks, underscoring the gravity of the moment. On May 15, he stated Putin’s behaviour shows a lack of respect not only for Ukraine, but also for US and Turkish Presidents.

"I believe the Kremlin ruler must demonstrate leadership, and if he is ready for negotiations, then he should meet without any preconditions. Let's meet.

We're in Ankara now. After this, we're sending a delegation to Istanbul. He's not here, he's not in Istanbul. We can't run all over the world looking for the man...

I believe the US and Türkiye are now feeling disrespected by Russia. No scheduled time, no agenda, no high-level delegation – that's personal disrespect. I'm not talking about 'the Russians' disrespecting us – that's already obvious – but this is a mirror image," he stated.