With only a few hours to go until the start of what was slated as the first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in years - talks that Vladimir Putin himself called - it still wasn’t clear if the Russian president would actually show up.

The talks in Istanbul complicated a European push for the U.S. to pressure Russia an into a ceasefire in Ukraine, even as questions persist on who is attending.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is too scared to meet for ceasefire talks in Turkey on Thursday, with Zelensky accusing Putin of being "scared" in

Russia resumed mass drone attacks in Ukraine early on Sunday, after its self-declared three-day pause expired.