Russian leader Vladimir Putin's failure to attend talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul on May 15 should lead to new sanctions against Russia, stated the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak,

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that he will be waiting for Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Turkish capital this week to conduct face-to-face talks about the more than three-year war.

President Vladimir Putin said, according to a translation by the BBC: "We are determined to have serious negotiations with Ukraine. The purpose is to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and establish long-term, lasting peace with a historical perspective.