Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin told U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday that a second round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine was useful despite Kyiv's attempt to disrupt them by staging attacks Putin considered terrorism,

So, Russia and Ukraine are still as far apart as ever, with the two warring countries unable to make a significant breakthrough in direct talks in Istanbul.

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky rejected Russian terms to end the war, while Vladimir Putin dismissed any meetings with what he called a terrorist regime.