Brief talks between Russia and Ukraine took place in Istanbul with lower-level delegations. This was the first time the two countries held direct negotiations since the first weeks of Russia's invasion.

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.

During the May 16 meeting in Istanbul, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations discussed a potential meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.