On May 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin ignored Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's call for direct high-level talks in Turkey and sent a team of junior officials to Istanbul. Western diplomats say Putin's decision to send low-level officials has cut off the possibility of any breakthrough. Senior U.S. officials will also travel to Istanbul, but it is unclear who they will meet and when. At the heart of the heated debate surrounding potential negotiations are the priorities of all parties, making a peace deal highly unlikely. Ukrainian officials said they met with the Russian team only to discuss how to implement and monitor the Trump administration's proposed 30-day unconditional ceasefire. Ukraine agreed to the ceasefire in March, but Putin has yet to ratify it.
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US media: Ukraine has only one demand - a 30-day ceasefire.
On May 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin ignored Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's call for direct high-level talks in Turkey and sent a team of junior officials to Istanbul. Western diplomats say Putin's decision to send low-level officials has cut off the possibility of any breakthrough. Senior U.S. officials will also travel to Istanbul, but it is unclear who they will meet and when. At the heart of the heated debate surrounding potential negotiations are the priorities of all parties, making a peace deal highly unlikely. Ukrainian officials said they met with the Russian team only to discuss how to implement and monitor the Trump administration's proposed 30-day unconditional ceasefire. Ukraine agreed to the ceasefire in March, but Putin has yet to ratify it.