A senior Ukrainian official on Friday accused Russia of deliberately obstructing U.S. involvement in the ongoing peace talks in Istanbul — the first direct diplomatic engagement between Kyiv and Moscow in over three years, according to AFP.
“The Russians are trying to get rid of the Americans by any means necessary,” the official said, suggesting Moscow may be attempting to avoid external scrutiny. “Perhaps they don’t want a third party to witness the disruption of the negotiation process,” the official added.
