Delegations from Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their first peace talks in 3 years

ISTANBUL – Russia and Ukraine are owed to clasp their first nonstop bid talks successful 3 years Friday, gathering successful Istanbul for Turkish-brokered negotiations, but officials and observers expect them to output small contiguous advancement connected stopping the more than 3-year war.

A Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov was owed to conscionable with a low-level Russian squad headed by statesmanlike adjutant Vladimir Medinsky.

The latest propulsion to extremity the warring got disconnected to a rocky commencement connected Thursday, erstwhile Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an connection by Ukrainian person Volodymyr Zelenskyy to conscionable face-to-face. Delegations from the 2 countries besides flew to antithetic Turkish cities and enactment unneurotic teams of importantly antithetic diplomatic heft for imaginable talks.

Although expectations for a imaginable Putin-Zelenskyy gathering were low, the evident deficiency of traction successful bid efforts frustrated hopes of bold steps being taken successful Turkey toward reaching a settlement.

The 2 sides are acold apart successful their conditions for ending the war, and U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday during a travel to the Middle East that a gathering betwixt him and Putin was important to breaking the deadlock.

Ukraine has accepted a U.S. and European connection for a full, 30-day ceasefire, but Putin has efficaciously rejected it by imposing far-reaching conditions.

Meantime, Russian forces are preparing a caller subject offensive, Ukrainian authorities and Western subject analysts say.

After Putin didn’t instrumentality up Zelenskyy’s situation to beryllium down with him successful the Turkish superior connected Thursday, the Ukrainian president accused Moscow of not making a superior effort to extremity the warfare by sending a low-level negotiating squad that helium described arsenic “a theatre prop.”

Even so, Zelenskyy said that helium was sending a squad headed by his defence curate to Friday’s gathering successful Istanbul. That would amusement Trump that Ukraine is determined to property up with bid efforts contempt Russian foot-dragging, Zelenskyy said, amid aggravated diplomatic maneuvering by Kyiv and Moscow.

The Russian delegation besides includes 3 different elder officials, the Kremlin said. Putin besides appointed 4 lower-level officials arsenic “experts” for the talks.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said helium would confer Friday successful Istanbul with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and the Ukrainian delegation, adding that the Russian delegation would beryllium gathering with different members of the U.S. squad and that helium hoped each sides could get together.

“We don’t person precocious expectations of what volition hap tomorrow. And frankly, astatine this point, I deliberation it’s abundantly wide that the lone mode we’re going to person a breakthrough present is betwixt President Trump and President Putin,” Rubio told reporters Thursday successful Antalya, Turkey.

Zelenskyy, meantime, flew to Albania to be a gathering of European governmental leaders Friday.

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