The Latest Breaking News from Ukraine

The Vatican did not release a statement after the meeting, but Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly voiced support for Ukraine, calling for “just and lasting peace”.

The first direct talks on halting Russia's war on Ukraine in more than three years started on Friday in Istanbul, with low expectations the two sides will agree to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II.

The summit comes as Ukrainian and Russian negotiators meet face-to-face for the first time in Istanbul.

The Russian president earlier proposed direct talks with Ukraine but then rejected speaking to Volodymyr Zelensky face-to-face and stayed away from a meeting in Istanbul

Ukraine and Russia meet in Istanbul for ceasefire talks, with Zelenskyy urging Putin to engage directly. Kyiv's top priority is a 30-day ceasefire and peace efforts.

There is one topic on which Kyiv and Moscow will never agree, and yet, for both sides, this point is of the utmost importance — Crimea. Olha Kuryshko, the Ukrainian president’s permanent representative in Crimea, told Euronews that Russia implemented its 2014 techniques on all occupied territories.

Rustem Umerov, who heads Ukraine's delegation at peace talks with Russia on Friday, is a skilled and pragmatic negotiator, hailed by his colleagues as a worker of diplomatic "wonders".

IN FULL

These are the key events on day 1,177 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The head of Russia’s delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said his side was ‘generally satisfied’ with Friday’s meeting

Democrats renew their push for probes into Elon Musk's conversations with top Russian officials, given his access to sensitive information.