“The Russian team is set to be led by Putin’s aide Vladimir Medinsky and deputy defense minister Alexander Fomin”
I’d say sending the #2 person from the most powerful military to the negotiations is FAR from a “Junior Team”.
...but then again, the Neocons are again mad at being OUTSMARTED by Putin.
As it is, if Ukraine wants peace, the right people are there to begin the negotiations.
Most powerful military compared to who?
It is located at the site of the original Turkish backed Ukraine peace negotiations that Zelensky reneged on on what is very close to the third year anniversary of Zelensky’s walk away.
This has some symbolic significance on several different levels and it is obvious that Putin intends to make this an issue of what might have been three years ago and what now has to be done to stop the conflict.
The significance of Vladimir Medinsky and deputy defense minister Alexander Fomin leading the talks is most likely that Russia is telegraphing this is not a negotiation led by Russia's chief diplomat, it's an issuing of a last chance ultimatum by the head of the Russian military to end the war with a negotiated settlement.
If Zelensky continues to play his juvenile, grand standing games and tricks and continues to be unserious about ending the wars on realistic terms set forth by Vladimir Medinsky , then defense minister Alexander Fomin will provide a very unpleasant picture on how things are going to unfold if Russia needs to opt for a military solution to the problem.
Hopefully our dynamic duo of UK Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron who seem to love to interject themselves into the situation to stiffen Zelensky's resolve to fight to the bitter and and the last Ukrainian will be there to hear the news as well.
I hope that this works out but in reality this meeting is likely the last chance for peace and if things do not progress, the Russians are going to move forward with the military solution that is seems Zelensky and his backers seem to be maneuvering the Russians into for reason known only to them.
After a year of unreality and posturing, things are about to very real in the Ukraine and a lot of people on all sides of this insanity are going to get a major reality check.