Neither Russian President Vladimir Putin nor U.S. President Donald Trump look likely to attend peace talks that were due to be held in Turkey on Thursday. Putin had suggested last Sunday that he was willing to hold "direct negotiations" with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul this week "without any preconditions.

KYIV: The Kremlin on Saturday said a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would be possible only after both sides reach an agreement, a day after after Moscow and Kyiv held their first direct talks in more than three years,