Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia end after less than two hours – officials

The two sides sat at a U-shaped table but remained far apart in their conditions for ending the war

Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha, US secretary of state Marco Rubio, Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan and Ukrainian head of Presidential Office Andriy Yermak arrive for a meeting at Dolmabahce palace in Istanbul, Turkey (Turkish Foreign Ministry via AP)

The first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine since the early weeks of Moscow’s 2022 invasion ended after less than two hours, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry and a senior Ukrainian official.

Kyiv at the meeting on Friday accused the Kremlin of introducing new “unacceptable demands” to withdraw Ukrainian forces from huge swathes of territory, according to the official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to make official statements.