The first high-level talks between Russia and Ukraine since the early months of Moscow's 2022 invasion showed they are far from agreement on steps needed for a ceasefire, even though they promised a major swap of prisoners of war.

The Ukrainian and Russian delegations concluded their talks in Istanbul on May 16 after speaking for less than two hours, Sky News reported, citing an unnamed source from the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

The first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine since the early weeks of Moscow’s 2022 invasion ended after less than two hours