Kyiv and Moscow exchange dozens more prisoners after huge drone and missile strike - Russia is accused of executing more than 150 Ukrainian prisoners of war

Turkey’s foreign minister is set to travel to Russia on Monday to discuss the situation in Ukraine, following direct talks earlier this month in Istanbul between the two sides in conflict.

Russia is still refusing to sign up to an unconditional comprehensive ceasefire. It has no intention of returning any of the Ukrainian land it has seized, occupied and claims to have annexed. On the contrary: it's pushing for more.

Before the talks even began, President Donald Trump predicted there would be no progress unless he and Russian President Vladimir Putin were involved.

Ukraine rallied support from its Western allies on Friday after Kyiv and Moscow failed to agree to a ceasefire at their first direct talks in more than three years, with Russia presenting conditions that a Ukrainian source described as "non-starters".

The first direct Ukraine-Russia talks did not deliver a ceasefire but it did result in the largest prisoner swap of the war. CHERNIHIV REGION, Ukraine — For hours Friday, a crowd of hopefuls stood on the roadside wrapped in blue-and-yellow flags and clutching photos of captured Ukrainian soldiers — their eyes peeled for any sign of buses.

MOSCOW: New peace talks with Ukraine had "yet to be agreed", the Kremlin said on Thursday (May 22), disputing reports the two nations would soon hold negotiations at the Vatican. Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have stepped up a gear in recent weeks,

The US and European leaders are placing their hopes in the Vatican to engage Russia and Ukraine in peace talks, after President Donald Trump said Pope Leo XIV had expressed interest in the idea. The Kremlin isn’t so keen.