Kremlin says Putin-Zelensky summit ‘unlikely to happen’ in August - Russia and Ukraine discuss further prisoner swaps at brief session of peace talks in Istanbul

I STANBUL—President Trump’s ultimatum for Russian President Vladimir Putin is showing no signs of bringing Russia and Ukraine any closer to peace. The third round of direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials, held Wednesday in Istanbul, yielded few results. The two sides met for less than an hour.

Deaths have been reported on either side of the border, just hours after a third round of ceasefire talks took place in Turkey.

The proposal was described as “permanently open” and could be implemented at any time, should Putin agree. ・According to Umerov, the meetings in Istanbul began at 6 p.m. and ended around 9:30 p.m. ・On the humanitarian track,

Russian President Vladimir Putin is stalling over a ceasefire. Meanwhile, Trump has changed his mind about sending weapons to Ukraine.

Negotiators for the warring sides in Istanbul appeared to make little progress on ceasefire terms or a possible summit between their presidents – with their meeting ending after less than an hour.

Kim made these comments to state media while overseeing an artillery unit's firing contest. North Korean forces have been aiding Vladimir Putin's attempted invasion since at least fall 2024, fighting in Russian uniforms, though both countries have only recently admitted their involvement.

Ukraine on Wednesday proposed direct talks within weeks between its President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia's Vladimir Putin, but Moscow tempered prospects for progress at a fresh round of talks in Istanbul on Wednesday.

Russian delegation head and presidential adviser, Vladimir Medinsky walks, after a meeting at Ciragan Palace on the day of the second round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, in Istanbul, Turkey,