Russia and Ukraine’s first direct talks in three years began Friday with hopes as dim as the gray Istanbul skies.

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.

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met in Istanbul under pressure from President Donald Trump to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two.