After dangling the possibility of his attendance, Trump said he would stay away but still wants to meet with Putin, further weakening the Istanbul talks.

Ten days of intense diplomatic maneuvers by Europeans and the US ahead of the meeting in Turkey were insufficient to reach a deal, as the differences between the two belligerent parties appear insurmountable.

At yesterday's negotiations, the Russian delegation opened the dialogue with pressure and a list of its maximalist demands toward Ukraine. But the Ukrainian delegation managed to push back against the Russian pressure,