Sunday, October 18
The first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in more than three years lasted well under two hours, with no apparent sign of progress so far in narrowing the gap between the sides, and a Ukrainian source called Moscow's demands "non-starters". Delegations from the warring sides met at a palace in Turkey on Friday, their first face-to-face meeting since March 2022, the month after Russia's invasion of its neighbour. The chasm between the two sides was quickly apparent, according to the Ukrainian source who told Reuters that Russia's demands were "detached from reality and go far beyond anything that was previously discussed". They included ultimatums for Ukraine to withdraw from parts of its own territory in order to obtain a ceasefire "and other non-starters and non-constructive
