It was the first direct Russia-Ukraine peace talks since the early weeks of Moscow’s 2022 invasion. While both sides agreed to a prisoner swap, they remain far apart on ending the fighting.

After dangling the possibility of his attendance, Trump said he would stay away but still wants to meet with Putin, further weakening the Istanbul talks.

The first direct peace talks in years between Kyiv and Moscow ended on May 16 with Russia once again rejecting an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. In turn, Russia demanded that Ukrainian troops leave four of the country's regions,