After dangling the possibility of his attendance, Trump says he will stay away but still wants to meet with Putin, further weakening the Istanbul talks.

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — The first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine since the early weeks of Moscow’s 2022 invasion ended Friday after less than two hours, and a senior Ukrainian official said the Russian side introduced new “unacceptable demands.”

Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia's delegation at Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul, said on Friday after the negotiations that Moscow was satisfied with the results and was ready to keep talking to Kyiv.