Since Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, attempts to implement a lasting end to the violence of its ongoing war in Ukraine have been many.

Over more than a decade, Ukraine, its European supporters and the United States have tried to resolve the crisis. All have been unsuccessful.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a new round of ceasefire negotiations in Istanbul on May 15.

His announcement came as Russia commenced a fresh drone attack on Kyiv following the end of a unilateral three-day "truce" declared by Russia.

European leaders rebuffed the proposal of direct talks, however, without an unconditional ceasefire first being enacted by Russia and Ukraine.

That was a view also expressed by the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The latest developments come amid months of prolonged negotiations between the US and Ukraine, and, separately, between American and Russian diplomats.

Before his election to the US presidency, Donald Trump committed to ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict on his first day in office. While that hasn't been the case, his administration has continually sought to broker an........

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