Russian President Vladimir Putin has dispatched a four-strong delegation to Turkey for talks on the Ukraine conflict, after his attendance at a summit in Istanbul was in doubt, with geopolitical exper

March 29, 2022: Talks begin in Istanbul, with Moscow saying it’s willing to “fundamentally cut back” military activity near Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv, while Ukraine said it was open to discussing neutral status for Ukraine if its security is backed by other nations.

Ukraine and Russia are close to reviving direct peace talks for the first time since the last face-to-face discussions ended three years ago.

Uncertainty swirled around what could be the first direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in years after the Kremlin held off disclosing who would represent Russia, and Ukraine demanded clarity before deciding on its own actions.