Istanbul talks may pave way for lasting Russia-Ukraine ceasefire, says Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan - Anadolu Ajansı

Before the talks even began, President Donald Trump predicted there would be no progress unless he and Russian President Vladimir Putin were involved.

The talks took place in the warring capitals of Moscow and Kyiv, from Washington and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to countries across Europe

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he expected Russia to present a Ukraine ceasefire outline within days that will show if it is serious, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of buying time.

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday (May 20) accused Russia of not seriously engaging in peace talks and of wanting to continue its three-year invasion, despite a US push for a ceasefire.

But US secretary of state also says President Trump believes threatening Russia with sanctions may cause them to stop talking - Anadolu Ajansı

In a reversal, President Trump appears to have backed off joining a European push for new sanctions on Russia, seemingly eager to move on to doing business deals with it.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that Kyiv and its partners were considering arranging a high-level meeting between Ukraine, Russia, the United States, European Union countries and Britain as part of a push to end Moscow's war in Ukraine.