Rubio said the low level of the Russian delegation likely meant there would be no major breakthroughs for the first direct talks between the two sides in years.

In Istanbul, preparations are underway for talks between the US, Ukraine, Russia, and Türkiye. Currently, trilateral meetings are expected, but a format involving all four parties is not ruled out, Reuters informs.

After five days of confusion over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for direct talks with Ukraine, the day they were supposed to begin initially brought only more of the same: a seven-hour stakeout on the banks of the Bosphorus,