<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine since the early weeks of Moscow's 2022 invasion ended on Friday after less than two hours, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry and a senior Ukrainian official.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kyiv accused the Kremlin of introducing new "unacceptable demands" to withdraw Ukrainian forces from huge swaths 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.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The demands had not been previously discussed, the official said.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/rockingham-gang-shooting-senior-gang-member-shot-left-for-dead-outside-wa-hospital/1feadb44-07ee-45a4-9f35-a0d7ca20e36f"><strong><span>Senior bikie left for dead after attempt to burn off his tattoos when he tries to leave gang</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He said the Ukrainian side reiterated it remained focused on achieving real progress — an immediate ceasefire and a pathway to substantive diplomacy, "just like the US, European partners, and other countries proposed", the official added.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Turkish Foreign Ministry also said in a statement that the session ended.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The two sides sat at a U-shaped table but remained far apart in their conditions for ending the war. US President Donald Trump, who has pressed both Moscow and Kyiv for an end to the conflict, said a meeting between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin would happen "as soon as we can set it up".</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/russia-ukraine-peace-talks-turkey-volodomyr-zelenskyy-vladimir-putin/83ec2edd-d2e1-4b7a-8084-107445c55964" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I think it's time for us to just do it," Trump told reporters in Abu Dhabi as he wrapped up a trip to the Middle East.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In Istanbul, a Ukrainian delegation led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov sat opposite a low-level Russian team headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, according to Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi, who published a photo of the meeting.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had opened the session by urging the parties "to take advantage of this opportunity", adding that it was "critically important that the ceasefire happens as soon as possible".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/port-melbourne-seven-people-arrested-after-man-found-seriously-injured-on-unit-balcony/84693153-ccbc-423c-b815-73d759390f9a"><strong><span>Seven arrested after man viciously bashed, Tasered in apartment attack</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Maneuvering ahead of talks</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Both countries engaged in diplomatic maneuvering this week as they tried to show Trump that they are eager to negotiate, although he has expressed frustration over the slow progress and threatened to punish foot-dragging.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On Thursday, Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face in Turkey. Zelenskyy accused Moscow of not making a serious effort to end the war by sending a low-level delegation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ukraine has accepted a US and European proposal for a full, 30-day ceasefire, but Putin has effectively rejected it by imposing far-reaching conditions.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Commenting on a possible Trump-Putin meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov appeared to indicate that momentum for such a summit is building. He told reporters that top-level talks were "certainly needed", but added that preparing a summit would take time.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Fighting continues</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Meantime, Russian forces are preparing a fresh military offensive, Ukrainian government and Western military analysts say.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A Friday morning drone attack on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk killed a 55-year-old woman and wounded four men, Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, said. All the victims worked for a municipal utility.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Russia's invasion has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, the UN says, and razed towns and villages. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have died, and likely a larger number of Russian troops, officials and analysts say.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On the battlefield, one Ukrainian soldier said he wasn't hopeful that the talks would bring a swift end to the war.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I don't think they will agree on anything concrete, because summer is the best time for war," he said, using only the call sign "Corsair", in keeping with the rules of the Ukrainian military. "The enemy is trying to constantly escalate the situation."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But he told AP that many of his comrades "believe that by the end of the year there will be peace, albeit an unstable one, but peace".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Before the talks began, Ukrainian officials met with national security advisers from the US, France, Germany and the United Kingdom to coordinate positions, a senior Ukrainian official told AP, speaking on condition of anonymity to talk about sensitive matters.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The US team was led by retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, while Umerov and presidential office chief Andriy Yermak represented Ukraine, the official said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A three-way meeting between Turkey, the US and Ukraine also took place, Turkish Foreign Ministry officials said. The US side included Secretary of State Marco Rubio as well as Kellogg.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On Thursday, Rubio said "we don't have high expectations of what will happen" at the Russia-Ukraine talks.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He said he believed a breakthrough was only possible is a meeting between Trump and Putin.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Zelenskyy, meantime, was in Tirana, Albania, for a meeting with leaders of 47 European countries to discuss security, defense and democratic standards against the backdrop of the war.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If the Russian representatives in Istanbul today cannot even agree to that, to [a] ceasefire, to this clearly necessary first step, then it will be 100 per cent clear that Putin continues to undermine diplomacy," Zelenskyy said. "If that's not the case, there must be at least some result today, starting with a ceasefire."</span></div></div>