Russia and Ukraine’s first direct talks in three years began Friday with hopes as dim as the gray Istanbul skies.

But the two sides failed to broker a temporary cease-fire or a meeting between their two leaders, a sign of how far apart they remain on ending the conflict.

In Istanbul, the first direct talks in three years between Ukraine and Russia on ending the war have concluded. The parties did not reach an agreement on a 30-day ceasefire but agreed on a large-scale exchange in a 1,