Wladimir Medinski: Who is the man who represents Putin in Istanbul?

Does he come or does he not come? It was puzzled for days whether Russia’s President Vladimir Putin would personally take part in the talks with Ukraine in Istanbul. Ultimately, Putin stays away from the meeting, he sends a four -person delegation to Turkey. It is led by Vladimir Medinski.

The 54-year-old is not a blank leaf in this regard. As early as 2022, he headed the peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which – also in Turkey – failed at the time. It was the last conversations between the two warring parties to the current gathering in Istanbul. Then, as now, the question arises: What can (and should) do the advisor of Putin at all?

Medinski leads the multi -member Russian delegation, but is generally considered a political lightweight. Observers saw his role as an indication that Russia could be very much due to the successful outcome of the talks. Even now, the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj described the Russian delegation as “decorative”, as a “dummy” and “deception maneuver” – and even left open whether Ukraine would even take up discussions with the Russian representatives under these circumstances. The spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Sacharova, emphasized that the delegation was “ready for serious work”.

However, Medinski is neither the closest circle of the Russian president, nor have the Ukraine, military or diplomacy have so far been one of the fields of his political work. Nevertheless, Putin sends him and not experienced diplomats such as Foreign Minister Lawrow or his foreign policy consultant Juri Uschakow.

The negotiations were said to have been well advanced three years ago, but still remained with no result. According to a research by the “New York Times”, the talks failed primarily due to the security guarantees for Ukraine. A number of guarantee states (including the USA, China and Germany) should help Ukraine in the event of a new attack. Russia also belonged to the circle. However, the Russians are said to have requested unanimity in such a case – so they could have prevented the defense of Ukraine at their own new invasion.

Except for the peace negotiations three years ago, Medinski has so far noticed primarily as a former Minister of Culture. For almost eight years (2012 to 2020) he held the office and brought the cultural business in the country to line. Medinski is considered ultra -conservative, his special attention is paid to the transfiguration of Russian history.

He is the author of several historical non -fiction books that spread Russian propaganda. Among other things, he was also involved in a history book that is a teaching material in all eleventh classes. Dictator Stalin, whose terrorism fell victim to millions of people, is described as wise and effectively, his crimes are excused. Almost completely Mikhail Gorbachev is held responsible for the downfall of the Soviet Union.

And of course a detailed chapter is also dedicated to the UkraineKlieg. He is only titled as “special military operation SMO”. The West wanted to destabilize Russia that the Ukraine was interspersed with neo -Nazis, the pupils read there. Not least because of this, Medinski is known in Russia as an ideologist and chief educator. His work does not withstand scientific facts.

With his history revisionism, he not only influences the young generation, but also finds hearing at Vladimir Putin. Medinski, born in Ukraine, is considered the “historical ghostwriter” of the president, writes the “New York Times”. From Putin’s ideas, the trained PR specialist and his employees develop essays, which in turn publishes Putin under his name or uses in speeches. Medenski himself describes Putin as “an absolute genius of current real policy”.