The Russian diplomatic maneuvers suggest that Vladimir Putin does not respect U.S. President Donald Trump and is unafraid of further sanctions or pressure from Europe, as assessed by the American CNN television portal on Thursday.

The Russian diplomatic game of hide and seek shows that Vladimir Putin does not respect U.S. President Donald Trump and is not afraid of further sanctions or pressure from Europe, assessed the American CNN television portal on Thursday.

Watch live as Volodymyr Zelensky holds a press conference after Vladimir Putin shuned Russia Ukraine peace talks in Turkey on Thursday (15 May). Mr Zelensky derided Russia’s delegation for peace talks in Istanbul as “stand-in props”,

By challenging Putin to face-to-face talks in Istanbul, Ukraine’s president has reshaped the diplomatic game and forced Moscow into a high-stakes dilemma.

Russia has called for direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul, but Ukraine’s European allies say Putin needs to agree to a ceasefire first.

Ukraine's air force reported an overnight Russian attack involving more than 100 drones, as Russia's President Vladimir Putin rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky 's proposal of an immediate 30-day ceasefire.