Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their first direct peace talks in three years, but hopes for a breakthrough remained dim after Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face in Turkey.

Officials from Russia and Ukraine are set to meet today for the first time in over three years after peace talks on Thursday fell through. Delegations from the warring nations had been expected to meet in Istanbul, but as the day wore on without any concrete indications of timings, it remained unclear when the sides would meet.