Russia and Ukraine hold their first direct peace talks in 3 years amid low expectations

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met Friday in Istanbul for their first direct peace talks in three years, officials said.

A Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov sat down with a low-level Russian team headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi, who published a photo of the meeting. The officials present sat around a U-shaped table, with the Russians and Ukrainians facing each other. Officials and observers expect the Turkish-brokered talks to yield little immediate progress on stopping the more than three-year war.