New Delhi, May 16 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday (May 15) accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being "unserious" about peace after the Kremlin leader failed to attend direct negotiations in Turkey aimed at ending the war.

"After we understood the level of the Russian delegation, we saw that they unfortunately are very unserious about real negotiations," Zelensky told reporters in Ankara.

Putin sent Vladimir Medinsky - a former culture minister and longtime aide - to represent Russia at the table. Medinsky had also led Russia's failed talks in Istanbul in 2022.

Zelensky expressed disappointment that Moscow's low-level representation undermined the credibility of the talks, calling it an insult to Ukraine an...