The Latest Breaking News from Istanbul

Speaking alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, Merz vowed to continue to increase the pressure on Moscow with added sanctions.

Russian peace negotiator invokes Peter the Great’s 21-year struggle to defeat Sweden, as Putin is fond of doing

Over three years after Russia invaded Ukraine, the countries are finally meeting for direct peace talks in Istanbul. Vladimir Putin will be not be attending.

A senior Ukrainian official at the peace talks in Istanbul accused Moscow of introducing “unacceptable demands” that had not been previously discussed, including calls for Kyiv’s forces to withdraw from large swaths of territory they control so a complete ceas efire to be implemented

The first direct talks on halting Russia's war on Ukraine in more than three years started on Friday in Istanbul, with low expectations the two sides will agree to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II.

The summit comes as Ukrainian and Russian negotiators meet face-to-face for the first time in Istanbul.

The Russian president earlier proposed direct talks with Ukraine but then rejected speaking to Volodymyr Zelensky face-to-face and stayed away from a meeting in Istanbul

Ukraine and Russia meet in Istanbul for ceasefire talks, with Zelenskyy urging Putin to engage directly. Kyiv's top priority is a 30-day ceasefire and peace efforts.

The head of Russia’s delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said his side was ‘generally satisfied’ with Friday’s meeting