The futility of the Russia-Ukraine peace talks

The week had promised historic peace talks between Ukraine and Russia , the first direct meeting between the warring sides since the first months of Russia ’s full-scale invasion in early 2022 .

At various points, Putin , Zelensky and Trump all had said they might be there.

But as the hours passed, and the talks kept being delayed, it became clear that none of the leaders who'd said they’d come would show.

Russia and Ukraine have agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each, the largest of the war.

The talks were also a test of both American and Turkish diplomatic acumen.

On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly promised to “end the war in Ukraine in the first 24 hours ” of his presidency.