Donald Trump will no longer join Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul as it looks like Russian president Vladimir Putin won’t be there himself.
A U.S. official spoke after Putin announced the Russian delegation for the talks, a list that did not include the Russian leader himself. Washington’s special envoy Keith Kellogg had previously said Mr Trump would join the leaders in Istanbul if Putin would be there.
"We're hoping President Putin shows up as well, and then President Trump will be there. This could be an absolutely incredible meeting," Mr Kellog said. "We can get peace, I really believe, pretty fast if all three leaders sit down and talk.”
Volodymyr Zelensky, for his part, has said he will go to Istanbul only if Mr Putin does. “If Putin does not arrive and plays games, it is the final point [showing] that he does not want to end the war. Trump needs to believe that Putin actually lies,” he said.
The Ukrainian president is due to meet with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.
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Key Points
- Putin notably absent from Russia delegation list
- President Trump will no longer attend peace talks in Turkey
- Zelensky accuses Putin of 'playing games' and 'lying' to Trump
- Kyiv demands clarity from Russia on Turkey talks
- Frontline ceasefire must precede peace talks, warns Ukraine
- Everything we know about Russia and Ukraine peace talks in Turkey
EU approves 17th round of sanctions on Russia - French foreign minister
23:01
,
Alex Croft
The EU has approved a seventeenth sanctions package on Russia, French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot has said.
Speaking to BFMTV on Wednesday, he added that the bloc would now turn to working on further, tougher sanctions in coordination with the United States.
Former US Army boss: Putin is 'stalling' at peace talks
22:49
,
Bryony Gooch
Retired General Jack Keane, former Vice Chief of Staff for the US Army, has accused Vladimir Putin of “stalling” at peace talks as the Russian leader will no longer attend the summit in Turkey.
Speaking to Fox News, General Keane said “the truth is the Europeans got together and visited Kyiv last week and they were in full support of Zelensky, Ukraine, 30 day ceasefire and also major sanctions similar to what the United States were putting together.
“That kind of unity we really hadn’t seen.
“Next thing we know, Putin within hours, is offering ‘let’s talk to Ukraine directly, let’s doing it in Turkey,’” he added, explaining that Ukraine’s leader had agreed to attend these talks if Putin showed up in person.
The general continued: “In my own line, Putin is using that talk to stall, that’s his motivation here, and trying to get more concessions.”
Who is part of the Russian delegation to Turkey?
22:30
,
Bryony Gooch
Russia has released the list of their delegation to direct talks with Ukraine on settling the war with Vladimir Putin notably absent.
The delegation included:
- Adviser Vladimir Medinsky
- Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin, who took part in the last talks held between the two sides in 2022 in the weeks following Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbour
- Igor Kostyukov, director of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the GRU, Russia's Foreign Military Intelligence Agency
President Trump will not join Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey
22:05
,
Bryony Gooch
US president Donald Trump is not going to Turkey to join Russia-Ukraine talks on Thursday, a U.S. official said on Wednesday.
The official spoke after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the Russian delegation for the talks, a list that did not include Putin himself. Trump had initially toyed with the idea of going to Turkey if Putin would be there.
Ukraine says it has destroyed Russian Buk air defence system
22:00
,
Alex Croft
Ukraine has destroyed one of Russia’s key defence anti-aircraft missile system and a rocket launcher, its military officials said on Tuesday.
A drone attack by Ukrainian Special Operations Forces destroyed a Russian Buk-M3 anti-aircraft missile system and a Uragan-1 multiple launch rocket system (MLSR), its unit said in a statement.
The attack that took place yesterday was part of a reconnaissance strike in an unspecified frontline sector where they detected the Buk-M3 and the Uragan-1 on combat duty, the unit said.
The Ukrainian forces fired attack drones and hit the targets which destroyed the Buk-M3 system and its ammunition. Ukrainian military officials did not specify the time of the attack.
Will anyone show up to Turkey peace talks? What Trump, Zelensky and Putin have said
21:29
,
Alex Croft
The fate of potentially groundbreaking Ukraine peace talks hangs in the balance as of Wednesday afternoon, as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin hold back on confirming their attendance.
Neither president has ruled out showing up to the talks beginning in Istanbul on Thursday. Both Mr Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky say their attendance depends on that of the Russian leader - but the Kremlin has not yet revealed whether he will join talks.
The Ukrainian president offered to meet Putin face-to-face during the talks in Istanbul. Whether or not the presidents attend, delegations from Kyiv and Moscow will meet in Turkey on Thursday for the first direct talks since March 2022.
Read the full report:
Meloni to Erdogan: Russia is expected to agree 30-day ceasefire
21:00
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Alex Croft
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has expressed hope that Russia will agree to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the US and Ukraine, in a phone call with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Ms Meloni and Mr Erdogan spoke on Tuesday and discussed the diplomatic prospects of Volodymyr Zelensky’s scheduled visit to Turkey - which he has called for Russian president Vladimir Putin to join.
She told the Turkish president that Russia is expected to respond positively to an invitation for high-level negotiations and will agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
On the ground | These gamers are now fighting for real in Ukraine’s war against Russia
20:29
,
Alex Croft
On a mild spring evening, deep in eastern Ukraine, Shawn McVey – call sign “Goldfish” – peers into a gully where controlled chaos is unfolding. “If you’re too busy killing, you don’t have time to die,” he bellows across the smoke-filled twilight.
Explosions punctuate the dusk, casting brief, searing flashes over a network of trenches carved deep into Ukrainian soil. Helmets bob through the haze; figures crawl and scramble under fire, their shouts blending with the staccato of simulated gunfire.
“Your job isn’t to die for Ukraine – it’s to make sure they die for Russia,” roars Brad, call sign ‘Cossack’, a grizzled 20-year veteran of the US 82nd Airborne and the camp’s head instructor.
Read the full report:
Russia is ready for serious talks on Ukraine, Ryabkov claims
19:55
,
Alex Croft
Russian deputy foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has claimed that Russia is ready for serious talks on Ukraine – but that Moscow doubts Kyiv is ready for negotiation.
“It is premature to make predictions,” Mr Ryabkov was quoted by Russian state news agencies as saying. “The question should be addressed to the sponsors of the Kyiv regime and Kyiv itself: are they ready to negotiate?”
“We have a firm impression that with the current approach, the word that can characterise the line of these figures is non-agreement,” state news agency Tass quoted him as saying.
Mr Ryabkov said the realities “on the ground” in the context of the conflict in Ukraine should be recognised, including the incorporation of what Moscow calls “new territories” into Russia, RIA reported.
Ukraine attacks on Russia's Belgorod injure 16, regional governor says
19:22
,
Alex Croft
At least 16 people were injured in a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on the Russian region of Belgorod, officials said this morning.
Among the injured were a doctor and a paramedic, Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram. Another eight people were hospitalised, he added.
The Russian defence ministry said that its units destroyed 12 drones that Ukraine launched overnight, three of them over the Belgorod region.
Russia only reports on the number of drones destroyed and not how many Ukraine launches.
Frontline ceasefire must precede peace talks, warns Ukraine
18:50
,
Alex Croft
Ukraine has repeated its insistence that a ceasefire should come before peace talks can begin in earnest, as Volodymyr Zelensky challenges Vladimir Putin to meet him face-to-face in Turkey tomorrow.
“Ukraine is ready for any format of negotiations with Russia, but a ceasefire must come first,” Andrii Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said yesterday.
Negotiations are impossible while “the Ukrainian people are under attack by Russian missiles and drones around the clock”, Mr Yermak said in a video address to the Copenhagen Democracy Summit 2025.
Macron says Russia could face new sanctions if no ceasefire
18:19
,
Alex Croft
French president Emmanuel Macron said he is in favour of imposing new sanctions on Russia in the coming days if Moscow fails to agree to a ceasefire, mentioning financial services and oil and gas as possible targets.
He reiterated the position held by Britain, Germany and Poland who said on Saturday that Russia would be hit by new punitive measures if it did not heed calls for a 30-day ceasefire within days.
The ceasefire was set to come into effect from Monday this week.
"Our intention is to impose new sanctions against Russia in the coming days" if Moscow refuses to implement a ceasefire, Mr Macron said in a prime-time interview on TF1.
"We are coordinating in this regard."
Mr Macron's comments echoed those by German chancellor Friedrich Merz earlier yesterday, who said European allies would roll out "a significant tightening of sanctions" on Russia if president Vladimir Putin does not agree to a ceasefire.
Mr Merz also cited sectors including energy and financial markets as possible targets.
On Monday, French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the European Commission had been asked to propose new sanctions in those areas.
Zelensky on his way to Turkey’s Ankara, Ukraine embassy in Turkey says
17:51
,
Alex Croft
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is traveling to Turkey’s capital Ankara ahead of possible talks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Istanbul tomorrow, Kyiv’s embassy in Turkey said on Wednesday morning.
Earlier yesterday, Mr Zelensky told reporters that he would first meet Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara for talks and would then head to Istanbul if Mr Putin also arrives there.
Mr Zelensky warned on Tuesday that only face-to-face talks can bring about the ceasefire necessary for peace negotiations to begin in earnest, “because absolutely everything in Russia” depends on Mr Putin.
Zelensky says Putin scared to meet in Turkey but face-to-face can deliver peace - ICYMI
17:20
,
Alex Croft
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he wants to negotiate an unconditional 30-day ceasefire face-to-face with Vladimir Putin at this week's talks in Istanbul because only the Russian leader could enact such a pause.
Accusing Putin of being “scared” of meeting him, Mr Zelensky said he expects “strong sanctions” from the US and European Union if the talks do not take place – warning that a failed meeting would show that Russia was not ready for diplomacy.
Mr Zelensky told reporters that because “absolutely everything in Russia” depends on Mr Putin, the only way to secure a ceasefire and an end to the war was through direct talks with him.
“If he takes the step to say he is ready for a ceasefire then it opens the way to discussing all the elements to end the war,” he said.
“I’m not even mentioning that he is scared of direct talks with me,” Mr Zelensky said, adding that he will first meet Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara for talks and would head to Istanbul if Mr Putin arrived there.
Putin ‘prevaricating’ and ‘obfuscating’ on peace talks, says Lammy
16:50
,
Alex Croft
Vladimir Putin is “prevaricating” and “obfuscating” on peace talks with Ukraine, the UK’s foreign secretary David Lammy has said.
Speaking in the Commons, Tory MP and former foreign secretary James Cleverly asked Mr Lammy what steps the UK was taking to ensure that Donald Trump remains “committed to defending territorial integrity”, and to ensure the White House understands that allowing Mr Putin to “prosper” in Ukraine will embolden future invasions.
Mr Lammy replied: “[Mr Cleverly] will have seen that the prime minister was with President Zelensky and other European partners, he will have noted that they engaged with President Trump.
“We welcome the desire to get an enduring peace but there must be a ceasefire in order to engage in those talks, it seems to me.
“And it is Putin that is prevaricating, it is Putin that is obfuscating, and we must call that out with our long experience of scrutinising that particular individual.”
Russian foreign minister Lavrov will not join Istanbul talks - report
16:17
,
Alex Croft
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will not participate in peace talks in Istanbul on Thursday, the Kommersant daily reported.
It is an unencouraging sign regarding hopes that Russian president Vladimir Putin’s potential attendance in Istanbul, Russia’s Kommersant newspaper has reported that foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will not be joining the peace talks.
The report did not verify a source and has not been independently confirmed.
US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin were still "maybes" for what could be the first direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in years after the Kremlin on Wednesday held off disclosing who would represent Russia.
Witkoff and Rubio to join Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul
15:48
,
Alex Croft
US president Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff said he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio would travel to Istanbul on Friday for Russia-Ukraine talks.
Mr Witkoff told reporters in Doha that it was unclear if Russian president Vladimir Putin will attend the planned talks.
Donald Trump has said he may join the talks but has not yet confirmed his attendance.
Watch: Putin blasts West's 'moron' leaders for hitting Russia with sanctions
15:27
,
Alex Croft
Zelensky: I have not spoken to Vance since White House clash
15:08
,
Alex Croft
Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed he has not spoken with US president JD Vance since the row in the Oval Office in February.
In an interview with German newspaper Der Spiegel, the Ukrainian president also noted communication issues with Steve Witkoff, the US envoy who has been heavily involved in talks with Russia and Ukraine.
“I invited all the security advisers, and they were all ready to engage—but it seems something went wrong with Witkoff,” he said.
“I haven’t spoken to Witkoff on the phone. My team met him in Paris, and the head of my presidential office, Andrii Yermak, talked with him.”
In pictures: Putin meets with Malaysian prime minister
14:51
,
Alex Croft
Trump will join peace talks in Turkey if Putin shows up, his envoy says
14:38
,
Alex Croft
US president Donald Trump will join the talks between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky in Turkey this week if the Russian president does indeed show up, his peace envoy said.
US special envoy Keith Kellogg told Fox Business Network: "We're hoping President Putin shows up as well, and then President Trump will be there. This could be an absolutely incredible meeting," Mr Kellog said.
"We can get peace, I really believe, pretty fast if all three leaders sit down and talk.”
There has been no confirmation from Moscow so far that Mr Putin will travel to Turkey tomorrow for talks with Mr Zelensky, but the Kremlin said this would be made public knowledge on Wednesday evening.
During his speech in Saudi Arabia yesterday, Mr Trump said his secretary of state Marco Rubio would attend the talks, as well as others. "We'll see if we can get it done," he said.
Ukrainian foreign minister hails 'thorough' talks with Turkish counterpart
14:25
,
Alex Croft
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has described his earlier conversation with Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan as “thorough”.
Mr Sybiha said they discussed ways to advance the Ukraine peace processand bring an end to the war.
Turkish and Ukrainian foreign ministers discuss peace in Ukraine
14:13
,
Alex Croft
Turkey and Ukraine’s foreign ministers discussed efforts towards peace in Ukraine during a meeting on Wednesday, a Turkish foreign ministry source said.
Turkey’s Hakan Fidan and Ukraine’s Andrii Sybiha also discussed president Volodymyr Zelensky’s planned Ankara visit where he will meet with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The pair met ahead of an informal Nato foreign ministers’ meeting in the southern Turkish province of Antalya.
Who is coming to peace talks in Turkey tomorrow?
14:00
,
Alex Croft
All eyes are finally turning to Istanbul this week as world leaders seek to end Russia's three-year-old full-scale invasion of Ukraine where a rare meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin is required to take place.
Who is coming to Istanbul tomorrow?
From Ukraine:
Mr Zelenskyy said yesterday that he will meet with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the capital Ankara, and wait there. If the Russian leader Mr Putin chooses Istanbul for the meeting, Mr Zelensky said, then he and Mr Erdogan will travel there.
Mr Zelensky added that he will travel to Turkey even if Mr Putin does not come for talks and will fly at a moment’s notice if the Russian president shows up.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Mr Zelensky will only sit down with the Russian president and no one else for talks aimed at ending Ukraine war.
If Mr Putin doesn't show up, European and US leaders should follow through with additional sanctions against Russia, he added.
From Russia:
The Kremlin has refused to confirm who's going to Turkey and whether it will include Mr Putin.
Pressed by reporters on who will represent Russia in Istanbul, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov refused to say, stressing that Mr Putin had outlined Russia's position clearly enough.
From the US:
Mr Trump has said he is optimistic about the talks and that there is "the potential for a good meeting" between Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky.
He added he was "thinking about flying over" after his visit to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates but later said secretary of state Marco Rubio and others from the US will go to Turkey for the talks.
Everything we know about Russia and Ukraine peace talks in Turkey
13:46
,
Alex Croft
Ukraine and Russia are set to meet in Turkey for peace talks three years after initial talks in the country broke down, with US president Donald Trump suggesting he could fly in to join the negotiations.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has also announced that he will be in Istanbul for the talks, due to start on Thursday, and has called for Russian leader Vladimir Putin to meet him there.
Russia has rejected Ukraine’s repeated calls for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, insisting that its maximalist demands, which include the effective ending of Ukraine’s sovereignty, have not been addressed. But the Kremlin did announce at the start of this week that it would attend the talks in Turkey.
Tom Watling reports:
'No James Bond activity!' Bulgarian spy ringleader denies working for Russia
13:31
,
Alex Croft
Merz: West must remain united over Ukraine
13:17
,
Alex Croft
German chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday the West must not allow itself to be divided on Ukraine, in his first major speech to parliament since becoming chancellor last week.
The West must not accept a dictated peace in Ukraine or a submission to the facts achieved on the ground by Russia's military, he said, adding that he is working to ensure unity between European and US partners on how to end the war.
"We hope and are working hard to ensure that this clear stance is upheld not only throughout Europe, but also by our American partners," Mr Merz said.
Poland uncovers potential foreign plot to interfere in presidential election
13:01
,
Alex Croft
Poland has uncovered a plot which it says could be an attempt to interfere in its presidential election campaign.
"The NASK Disinformation Analysis Center has identified political ads on the Facebook platform that may be financed from abroad. The materials were displayed in Poland," NASK, the national research institute dealing with cybersecurity, said in a statement.
The first round of the election takes place on Sunday, pitting liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, a senior member of the ruling Civic Platform party, against historian Karol Nawrocki, who runs Poland's Institute of National Remembrance, and far-right Slawomir Mentzen.
"The advertising accounts involved in the campaign spent more on political materials in the last 7 days than any election committee,” NASK added, but it did not say which country the financing might have come from.
Poland has previously said that its role as a hub for aid to Ukraine makes it a prime target for Russian espionage, sabotage and cyberattacks. Russia has denied the allegations.
Kyiv wants clarity from Russia before deciding next steps on Turkey
12:46
,
Alex Croft
Kyiv will decide on its next steps for peace talks in Turkey once there is clarity on Russian president Vladimir Putin's participation, a Ukrainian diplomatic source has said.
"Everything will depend on whether Putin is scared of coming to Istanbul or not. Based on his response, the Ukrainian leadership will decide on the next steps," the source told Reuters.
Putin to visit Iran, Kremlin says
12:16
,
Alex Croft
Russian president Vladimir Putin has been invited to visit Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.
The dates of the trip have not yet been agreed, he added.
Moscow and Tehran signed a 20-year strategic partnership agreement in January, the two countries have supplied each other with weapons, and Russia has defended what it says is Tehran's right to peaceful nuclear energy.
"Indeed, President Putin has an invitation to pay an official or working visit to Iran. The dates have not yet been agreed. As soon as they are agreed, we will inform you," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about a possible visit.
"We highly value our partnership with this country and we highly value the depth of our relationship in a wide variety of areas."
The last time Putin visited Iran was in 2022, months after he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.
Analysis | Will Zelensky empty-chair Putin in front of Trump after calling Russia’s bluff on peace talks?
12:12
,
Alex Croft
Volodymyr Zelensky has thrown down the gauntlet – and is calling Vladimir Putin’s bluff – by announcing he will indeed be in Turkey on Thursday for direct talks on a ceasefire.
To add further intrigue to what is already extraordinary encounter, if it happens at all, Donald Trump has now suggested he may fly into Turkey as well, “if it would be helpful”.
Over the weekend, Putin effectively rejected the Ukrainian president’s call for 30-day unconditional truce, which is backed by Sir Keir Starmer, the leaders of France, Germany and Poland (who were all in Ukraine) as well as members of the 31-country “coalition of the willing”.
Chief international correspondent Bel Trew writes:
Russia seizes control of town in Donetsk region - Moscow defence ministry
11:58
,
Alex Croft
Russian forces took control of the town of Mykhailivka, in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, the RIA state news agency cited the Defence Ministry as saying on Wednesday.
The Independent could not independently confirm the battlefield report.
Kremlin criticises Macron plan to deploy nuclear-armed planes around Europe
11:40
,
Alex Croft
The Kremlin has hit out at French president Emmanuel Macron’s claim that Paris could deploy nuclear-armed warplanes in other European countries.
"The Americans have the bombs on planes in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Turkey," Mr Macron told France's TF1 television on Tuesday.
"We are ready to open this discussion. I will define the framework in a very specific way in the weeks and months to come," he said.
This move will not enhance Europe’s “security, predictability and stability”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "Right now, the entire system of strategic stability and security is in a deplorable state for obvious reasons," Peskov said.
Macron first floated the idea of extending the protection of France's nuclear arsenal to other European countries in March.
Trump says he doesn't know whether Putin will show up to Turkey talks
11:25
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump has said he does not know whether Vladimir Putin will turn up to direct talks between a Ukrainian and Russian delegation in Turkey.
Mr Trump was speaking to media during a tour of the Middle East, where he today met Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa.
"He'd like me to be there, and that's a possibility. ... I don't know that he would be there if I'm not there. We're going to find out," he told reporters traveling aboard Air Force One en route to Qatar. He has said he may visit Turkey for the talks as part of his trip to the Middle East this week.
Mr Zelensky has said that if the Russian president travels to Istanbul, he will join for face-to-face talks.
Watch: Putin blasts West's 'moron' leaders for hitting Russia with sanctions
11:03
,
Alex Croft
Make-up of Moscow's Istanbul delegation to be confirmed Wednesday evening - Russian lawmaker
10:44
,
Alex Croft
The make-up of Moscow's delegation for peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday will be made public on Wednesday evening, a senior Russian lawmaker has said, adding that an all-for-all prisoner exchange could be on the table.
"About Istanbul, I won't say anything, you'll know everything in the evening," Leonid Slutsky, who leads Russia's Liberal Democratic Party, told the SHOT Telegram channel in an interview.
"If we really exchange everyone for everyone (prisoners of war) - this is a question that can be considered," he said.
Make-up of Russian delegation in Istanbul will be revealed on Putin's order, Kremlin says
10:35
,
Alex Croft
The make-up of Russia’s delegation for Istanbul talks with a Kyiv delegation will be confirmed when Vladimir Putin gives the order, the Kremlin has said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow would disclose the make-up of its own delegation once President Vladimir Putin gave the order to do so.
The Russian president’s offer of direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow stands, he added, without revealing whether Mr Putin will take up Mr Zelensky’s offer of face-to-face talks in the Turkish capital.
A senior Russian lawmaker said the makeup of the Russian delegation will be known on Wednesday evening, according to the Kremlin-approved Shot Telegram channel. It added that an all-for-all prisoner exchange could be discussed in tomorrow’s talks.
Brazil's Lula says he will ask Putin to go to Turkey for Zelensky meeting
10:23
,
Alex Croft
Brazillian president Lula da Silva has said he will ask Vladimir Putin to go to Turkey for peace talks with Volodymyr Zelensky, CNN reported.
Moscow invited Kyiv for direct talks in Istanbul after it rejected the US-Ukrainian proposal for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire.
After accepting the invitation, Mr Zelensky said he was ready to personally meet the Russian autocrat on May 15 in Turkey. The Kremlin has not confirmed whether Mr Putin will participate but has said Russia will send a delegration.
During a visit to China, Mr da Silva said he would ask Mr Putin to travel to Turkey for talks with Mr Zelensky.
Pictured: Child sits in playground of damage school in Donetsk region
10:08
,
Alex Croft
Germany arrests three Ukrainians accused of spying in exploding parcels plot
09:46
,
Alex Croft
Germany has arrested three Ukrainian nationals suspected of acting as foreign spies in a plot related to explosive parcels, prosecutors said on Wednesday.
The nationals, who are accused of working for Russian state institutions, have been linked by authorities to a shipment of parcels containing explosive devices, federal prosecutors said.
Two of the men, identified in line with German privacy laws only as Vladyslav T and Daniil B, were arrested over the weekend in Germany. Another, identified as Yevhen B, was arrested on Tuesday in Switzerland.
"The defendants are strongly suspected of acting as agents for the purpose of sabotage," the statement said, accusing them of agreeing to commit serious arson and procure explosives.
German authorities warned businesses in August last year that packages containing incendiary devices had caught fire en route across Europe.
Logistics firm DHL took measures to protect its network following several fires at a warehouse in Leipzig.
EU approves 17th round of sanctions on Russia - French foreign minister
09:28
,
Alex Croft
The EU has approved a seventeenth sanctions package on Russia, French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot has said.
Speaking to BFMTV on Wednesday, he added that the bloc would now turn to working on further, tougher sanctions in coordination with the United States.
On the ground | These gamers are now fighting for real in Ukraine’s war against Russia
09:11
,
Alex Croft
On a mild spring evening, deep in eastern Ukraine, Shawn McVey – call sign “Goldfish” – peers into a gully where controlled chaos is unfolding. “If you’re too busy killing, you don’t have time to die,” he bellows across the smoke-filled twilight.
Explosions punctuate the dusk, casting brief, searing flashes over a network of trenches
