By bne IntelliNews Russian president Vladimir Putin was a no-show at direct talks he proposed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and sent a low-level delegation instead that didn't include a single minister,

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy never proposed a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.It was the Kremlin leader who suggested direct talks in Istanbul to avoid a ceasefire, stated Zelenskyy during a press conference.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is prepared to meet Vladimir Putin this week, shortly after US President Donald Trump urged him to “immediately” accept the Russian leader’s offer to hold peace talks in Turkey.

US President Donald Trump said there’ll be no resolution of Russia’s war in Ukraine until he meets with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, as a delegation from Kyiv set off to Istanbul for potential ceasefire talks with Moscow counterparts.

Military experts have warned the Russian president's war-machine could be fully rebuilt to strength and made ready to attack NATO neighbours by 2027 if a peace deal is struck in Ukraine

Who is heading up Moscow’s ‘decorative’ peace delegation in Putin’s stead? - Leading the delegation is Vladimir Medinsky, who is behind a new history textbook for schools which reflect Putin's histori

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin must respond to the ceasefire proposal in Ukraine by the end of the day, The Guardian reports. According to German government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius, "the clock is ticking" for Russia.

The French Foreign Minister, on his part, adds that he is working with US Senator Lindsey Graham on "massive sanctions" against Moscow. Brussels defined its 17th package of sanctions against Russia this Wednesday,