Russian Delegation in Istanbul Has Full Authority and Competence, Says Medinsky

The Russian delegation at the negotiations in Istanbul has all the necessary authority and competence, Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation at the talks in Istanbul said. "Our official delegation was approved by presidential decree. It possesses all the necessary competencies and authority to conduct negotiations,” he said. Medinsky made this statement in response to comments by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who questioned whether the Russian delegation in Istanbul had the mandate to make decisions. Zelensky described the Russian delegation as "theatrical.” According to him, the Ukrainian side needed to assess the level of the Russian negotiation team before the talks could begin.