Vladimir Putin will not travel to Istanbul for talks with Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Kremlin has said, rejecting the Ukrainian president’s bold proposal for a face-to-face meeting in Turkey to discuss peace.

Vladimir Putin will not attend Thursday’s Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul, despite calls from Zelensky, Trump and Brazilian President Lula. Kremlin named a delegation of military and intelligence officials instead.

President Vladimir Putin has appointed a delegation of senior officials to attend Thursday’s direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, according to a directive published by the Kremlin late Wednesday. Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky,

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he will personally try to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend face-to-face peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul on Thursday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is unlikely to participate in negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul, scheduled for May 15, according to Kommersant. The Russian outlet does not specify who exactly provided this information.