The first high-level talks between Russia and Ukraine since the early months of Moscow's 2022 invasion showed they are far from agreement on steps needed for a ceasefire, even though they promised a major swap of prisoners of war.

A FTER A WEEK of brinkmanship, Volodymyr Zelensky departed for peace negotiations in Turkey still unsure who he would be talking to. Vladimir Putin stayed silent for nearly four days, before turning down the Ukrainian’s dare of a face-to-face meeting.

Turkish Foreign Ministry officials said the three-way meeting between Turkey, the U.S. and Ukraine had begun. Overseen by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the U.S. side included Secretary of State Marco Rubio,