As Russian President Vladimir Putin explores a potential peace settlement to end the war in Ukraine, hawkish anti-Western nationalists at home are waging a campaign to keep the conflict going. “We surrender our weapons,

Russian President Vladimir Putin stayed away Thursday from proposed direct peace talks on ending the war in Ukraine, leaving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy waiting in the Turkish capital of Ankara after he had challenged the Kremlin leader to face-to-face negotiations.

Ukrainian and Russian representatives will meet in Istanbul, Turkey, on Thursday, for their first meeting since the opening weeks of Moscow's 3-year-old invasion.