The Ukrainian negotiators said Russia again rejected an "unconditional ceasefire" - a key demand by Kyiv and its allies in Europe and the US. The Russian team said it had proposed a two-to-three day truce "in certain areas" of the vast front line, but gave no further details.

At Monday's talks, which were held in the Turkish city of Istanbul and lasted just over an hour, the two sides did agree to exchange all sick and heavy wounded prisoners of war, as well those aged under 25. Expectations were low even before the talks started, with both sides remaining deeply divided on how to end the war that has been raging since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including the southern Crimea peninsula which it annexed in 2014. Speaking at a briefing after the meeting, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who led Kyiv's negotiating team, said Ukraine was insisting on a "full and and unconditional ceasefire" for at least 30 days to "end the killings now". He said Ukraine had handed over its truce proposals to Russia "a few days ago" - but Moscow failed to do the same, only presenting its plan at the Istanbul talks. Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsia then said that Russia rejected the unconditional ceasefire. (BBC)