Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed Russia's ceasefire proposal as "an ultimatum" and renewed his call for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to break the deadlock over the war.

Russia handed the Ukrainian delegation a last-minute memorandum during negotiations under Turkish mediation, listing a series of unacceptable proposals for Kyiv.

The latest round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine has begun in Istanbul, with the two sides looking for ways to end the conflict. Television broadcasts showed the delegations meeting in Çırağan Palace in Istanbul,