Russian President Vladimir Putin remains perpetually just out of reach as the White House struggles in its efforts to bring the world leader to heel on his invasion of Ukraine. President Donald Trump appears undeterred in his efforts to get the Russian leader to the negotiating table even after the Kremlin dodged a proposal to

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to take part in the talks as Trump pressed for the leaders to find a solution to the war, ongoing since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. But Putin spurned the call to meet face-to-face with Zelenskyy.

The first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in over three years went ahead today in Istanbul, but ended after nearly two hours amid skepticism from the US and Europe about the potential for a peace deal to end the war.