The second recent round of direct discussions, in Istanbul, resulted in an agreement to trade more prisoners, but produced few steps toward ending the fighting.

Russia and Ukraine have concluded their second round of peace talks, which came after the two countries traded overnight attacks. While the meeting was under way in Istanbul, Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky joined a summit with the leaders of Nato's eastern and Nordic members in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius.

Since last sitting down with Ukraine to talk peace, Russia has launched four of its five largest drone attacks against the country, killed more than 340 of its civilians and continued to peddle its false narrative about the unprovoked war it has been waging for more than a decade.