Srilanka, May 15 -- Neither Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky nor Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in the first direct Ukraine peace talks since 2022, dampening hopes for a breakthrough. Putin first proposed direct negotiations for May 15 over the weekend, but the Kremlin later announced he would not be attending.
Putin on Sunday proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday "without any preconditions". Late on Wednesday, the Kremlin said the delegation would include presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin - but Putin's name was not on the list.
After the Kremlin's delegation announcement, a US official said Trump, who is on a three-nation tour of the Middl...