But the two sides failed to broker a temporary cease-fire or a meeting between their two leaders, a sign of how far apart they remain on ending the conflict.

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine are set to meet for peace talks in Turkey on Friday. But, Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, nor US President Donald Trump, will be there following days of confusion.

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks in three years Friday, gathering in Istanbul for Turkish-brokered negotiations, but officials and observers expected them to yield little immediate progress on stopping the more than three-year war.