🇺🇸🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡- "Continued deaths from the war in Ukraine are shameful," - Donald Trump, US President.

🇺🇸🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡- BREAKING: "I expected Putin to go to the negotiations in Turkey with Ukraine, but he did not go," - Donald Trump, US President.

🇺🇸🇺🇦🇹🇷⚡- The US-Ukraine talks, mediated by Turkey in Istanbul, have begun.

The US side is represented by Secretary of State Rubio, US Ambassador to Turkey Barrack, and Trump's Envoy to Ukraine Kellogg. The Ukrainian side is represented by Foreign Minister Sybiha, Head of Presidential Office Yermak, and Defense Minister Umerov. The mediation is chaired by Turkey's Foreign Minister Fidan.

🇺🇸🇺🇦🇹🇷⚡- The US-Ukraine talks have ended in Istanbul, Turkey. The US is expected to meet the Russian delegation before the Russia-Ukraine direct talks begin.

🇦🇲🇦🇿🇦🇱⚡- Tense meeting between Azerbaijan's Aliyev and Armenia's Pashinyan on the sidelines of the European Political Community Summit in Tirana, Albania.

🇷🇺🇺🇦🇹🇷⚡- The Russian delegation arrives at the Dolmabahce, in Istanbul, the venue for the Russia-Ukraine talks.

🇺🇸🇷🇺🇹🇷⚡- BREAKING: The Russian delegation demands that the Russia-Ukraine talks, mediated by Turkey, take place without US presence.

The US is represented by Secretary of State Rubio and Special Envoy to Ukraine Kellogg.

🇷🇺🇹🇷⚡- Turkey says the talks were arranged for 12:30pm local time, however the Russian side arrived at Dolmabahce at 12:45pm.

🇺🇸🇷🇺🇹🇷⚡- Russia's Head of the delegation Vladimir Medinsky is currently meeting US Secretary of State Rubio alone.

🇺🇦🇹🇷⚡- "Peace is possible only if Russia shows readiness for concrete actions. This means a complete, unconditional 30-day ceasefire," - Rustem Umerov, Defense Minister of Ukraine and Head of Ukraine's delegation in Istanbul.

The comments were made to the press immediately following the US-Ukraine talks.

🇷🇺🇹🇷⚡- "The Russian delegation is in constant contact with the Presidential Office," - The Kremlin.

🇷🇺⚡- "Putin will hold a security council meeting this evening," - The Kremlin.

🇷🇺⚡- "Putin may hold an international phone call this evening," - The Kremlin.

🇷🇺🇺🇦🇹🇷⚡- BREAKING: Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul have begun.

🇹🇷 - Vladimir Medinsky, Head of Russia's delegation, is still meeting US Secretary of State Rubio. He will be joining the Russia-Ukraine talks late.

It's unknown if the US side will join the talks.

🇺🇸🇹🇷⚡- US Secretary of State Rubio and Special Envoy Kellogg will not be joining the talks, as the Russian side forbade them from doing so.

🇮🇷🇮🇱⚡️- "Iran paid a 16-year-old boy from Shefla to burn a page and a bill with an inscription condemning Netanyahu, to photograph certain sites, and to take pictures of vitamin money in various places." - Shin Bet, Israeli internal security service.

🇮🇹🇦🇱⚡- Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama kneeled to welcome Italy's Giorgia Meloni to the European Political Community Summit in Tirana.

🇷🇺🇺🇦🇹🇷⚡- Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul are over - lasting less than 2 hours.

🇷🇺🇺🇦🇹🇷⚡- Russia-Ukraine talks to resume next week Friday. Both sides cite some positivity.