Ukraine said Tuesday that if Vladimir Putin skips talks in Turkey it would be a "clear sign" to the world the Russian leader is not serious about peace, and the West should reply with boosted military support to Kyiv.

The meeting set for Thursday in Istanbul would be the first direct negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian officials since the early months of Moscow's invasion in 2022.

Zelensky has called on Putin to personally attend the talks that the Kremlin leader himself suggested, but Moscow on Tuesday declined for the second day running to respond to that invitation.

"If Vladimir Putin refuses to come to Turkey, it will be the final signal that Russia does not want to end this war, that Russia is not willing and not ready for any negotiations," Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said in a statement published by the Ukrainian presidency.

US President Donald Trump on Monday urged both leaders to attend and said he was........

© International Business Times