Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin sending a lower-level delegation to Turkey for talks on the war in Ukraine was tantamount to a "slap," Reuters reported, BTA reported.
He added that his country's official position was that Estonia's future defense spending target should be 5% of GDP.
The Russian delegation arrived at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul for talks to end the war in Ukraine, DPA reported, citing Interfax news agency.
The exact time for the start of the talks with the Ukrainian delegation has not yet been confirmed, the agency reported, citing sources close to the Russian negotiators.
The direct talks in Istanbul were proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, but he did not confirm until recently whether he would attend them in person. It was only last night that it became clear that the head of the Russian delegation would be Vladimir Medinsky.
Medinsky, who is an advisor to the president and former minister of culture, is considered a person of little influence in Moscow, DPA notes. He previously led the talks between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, which failed to achieve a breakthrough.