Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin must demonstrate leadership by meeting him in person for talks. He said Putin’s behaviour shows a lack of respect not only for Ukraine,

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy never proposed a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.It was the Kremlin leader who suggested direct talks in Istanbul to avoid a ceasefire, stated Zelenskyy during a press conference.

Amid whirlwind diplomacy this week over the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine, it seemed like Volodymyr Zelenskyy had gotten the better of his adversary. Now Vladimir Putin has found what he presumably sees as the best way out of a tight spot by sending a lower-level delegation to peace talks.

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Wednesday he would try to urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend possible peace talks this week with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, amid suspense over whether Putin would take part in the proposed meeting in Turkey.

Ukraine has minimized its participation in negotiations with the Russian side due to the absence of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The delegation will arrive in Istanbul but without high-ranking officials.

The EU is preparing new sanctions on Russia despite a potential meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday, three sources told CNBC.