Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday a proposed meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin could be skipped if an agreement on a ceasefire between the two countries is agreed during technical talks in Istanbul.

Russian President Vladimir Putin did not show up for the negotiations, even though he initiated them himself. Ukraine will not run around the world looking for him, according to a press conference by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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 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.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin is not ready for direct negotiations with Ukraine. His claims of being open to dialogue are just empty talk, stated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a press conference.

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

By Tom Balmforth, Vladimir Soldatkin and Huseyin Hayatsever ISTANBUL/ANKARA (Reuters) -Russia's Vladimir Putin spurned a challenge to meet face-to-face with Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Turkey on Thursday,

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.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that Vladimir Putin is "too scared" to meet him in Turkey for ceasefire talks on Thursday

There was no negotiation process with Ukraine, with the Kremlin only saying that Kyiv "should follow" its lead.

Igor Olegovich Kostyukov, 64, has travelled to Istanbul for the ceasefire talks alongside the Russian deputy defence minister, the deputy foreign minister and the deputy minister of industry and trade