After dangling the possibility of his attendance, Trump said he would stay away but still wants to meet with Putin, further weakening the Istanbul talks.

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

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,