ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — The first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine since the early weeks of Moscow's 2022 invasion ended Friday after less than two hours, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry officials and a senior Ukrainian official.
A Ukrainian official at the talks accused the Kremlin of introducing new "unacceptable demands" for Kyiv to withdraw its forces from huge swaths of territory, according to the official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make official statements.
The talks came after more than three months of diplomacy kickstarted by U.S. President Donald Trump, who promised during his campaign to end the devastating war swiftly. Trump's administration in recent weeks indicated that it might walk away from the peace effort if there is no tangible progress soon.