Ukraine suspects Russia wants to negotiate to buy time

Ukraine suspects Russia wants to negotiate to buy time for a new offensive

Erdogan met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in early August, then visited Ukraine on his first eastern European trip since the start of hostilities.

Podolyak said Russia was trying to get Ukraine to join the new round of talks to give it time to regroup its forces and launch an offensive.

For weeks the Kremlin has been “trying to persuade Ukraine to join the talks,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak said on Aug. 23.

“In such negotiations, Russia wants to freeze the conflict while maintaining the status quo of the Ukrainian territories it controls,” Podolyak said.