Olga Ivshina: BBC Senior Russia Reporter on the meeting between Russia, Ukraine

The stage is set in Turkey for a potentially historic meeting in a few hours between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's personally attending and has challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to do the same. 

It has now been confirmed that Putin will not attend the meeting, but the Kremlin had previously refused to confirm either way. 

BBC Senior Russia Reporter Olga Ivshina told Ryan Bridge that Putin follows his own logic – which is quite unpredictable. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Potans still living, Zelensky on red Or saying still no
replies Zelensky and Turkey basically waiting for him to turn up.
He now says he won't meet with anyone but Putin.
BABC senior Russia reporter Olga if Shina is with us
this morning, thank you for being with me. Do you
think it's likely Poten will turn up in the flesh.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Well, that's the biggest question now right And if I knew,
if anyone could read Putin's mind or probably that person
would be one of the most inferential and important people
in the world right now. So the trouble with Puttin
is he follows his own logic, which we have seen
precisely in the past three ten years. So yeah, it's

(00:42):
quite unpredictable. Russian Russian officials are keeping the pause of
not not releasing much information. There is an interesting sign
that today Brazilian president made a stopover in Moscow and
didn't meet with Putin, but it's probably too far to
say that there is a sign of possibly him put

(01:03):
In preparing for something big, but it's it's it's still.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
Olga. We've lost you. No, I think we've lost Olga. Unfortunately,
it just gone nine minutes away from six. Olga, are
you there, No, we've lost it. We'll have to leave
it there. Unfortunately, it was interesting what she had to
say anyway. So the problem, I mean, what he will
be weighing up, what the Kremlin will be weighing up,
is how does it look to the rest of the
world if I don't turn up? How does it look

(01:32):
to America in particular, if I don't turn up, does
that make it look like I'm not keen on a deal?
You know? These are the calculations the Kremlin will be making.
Olga's back with us. I think, Olga, that'll be what
presumably what the Kremlin's weighing up.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yes, in a way, krimlinly is enjoying this tension, as
was exactly their strategy for many years now, to keep
the attension as much as possible in order to try
to provoke cares, provoke confrontation, provoke doubts and discussions within
the allies in Europe, in the United States, between Ukraine
and the United States, for example. So the tension is

(02:08):
actually favorable to Moscow, so we have to wait until
tomorrow to get the answers. But Kremlin is enjoying that
tension and possible disruptions which it may bring.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
Algert really appreciate your time. Thank you with the dodgy
line for us At BBC. Senior Russia reporter Olga if
Shina on with Putin will turn up in the Flesh.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
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