Russia and Ukraine’s first direct talks in three years began Friday with hopes as dim as the gray Istanbul skies.

The first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine since the war began lasted just two hours in Istanbul on Friday and only agreed on a prisoner swap, in a sign the two sides remain very far apart. The Turkish Foreign Ministry announced to journalists that the meeting had ended with no explanation but according to people familiar with the talks,

But the two sides failed to broker a temporary cease-fire or a meeting between their two leaders, a sign of how far apart they remain on ending the conflict.