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

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met in Istanbul under pressure from President Donald Trump to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two.

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.