The top Russian diplomat has ridiculed the Ukrainian leader for demanding President Vladimir Putin personally attend talks in Istanbul

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has branded Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky a "pathetic person," claiming that even his foreign backers have been asking him to stop acting "foolishly."

Lavrov criticized the Ukrainian leader's demands that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally attend upcoming talks in Istanbul, Trkiye, claiming that the issue was something "everyone understands, except him and his puppet-masters."

"A pathetic person," Lavrov added, stating that Zelensky's "senior comrades later explained to him that he shouldn't act so stupidly and that negotiations were needed."

On Sunday, Putin proposed relaunching direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine which were unilaterally abandoned by Kiev in 2022. The potential meeting is expected to take place on Thursday in Istanbul, and the Kremlin has already confirmed the members of its delegation. These include presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Defense Minister Aleksandr Fomin, and the head of Russia's military intelligence, Igor Kostyukov.

Following the announcement of the Russian delegation, Zelensky branded the group "a prop," drawing further condemnation from Moscow. 

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed that Moscow's negotiating team is made up of the country's top experts. She suggested that Zelensky doesn't even have an education and came to power using "information technology and huge capital investments" which, Zakharova claimed, were only given to him so that he would "work as a tool."

"Who uses the word 'prop?' A clown, a loser," Zakharova said, adding that the Ukrainian leader has "no right" to doubt the professional level of "anyone at all," especially the highest professionals in their field.

The spokeswoman further noted that there was never any talk of Putin attending the negotiations in person and that Moscow had initially announced that it would be sending a delegation.

Zakharova stressed that it was the very same Russian delegation that gave Zelensky a chance three years ago to save his country and his people, which he ultimately rejected.