Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he will personally try to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend face-to-face peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul on Thursday.

During a conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Zelenskyy suggested holding the meeting in Ankara. However, the Ukrainian president said that if Putin agrees to come, he is ready to meet in Istanbul.

Ukraine peace talks hang in balance after Putin and Trump skip Turkey summit - President Trump had suggested he would attend peace talks if Vladimir Putin was also there

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is unlikely to participate in negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul, scheduled for May 15, according to Kommersant. The Russian outlet does not specify who exactly provided this information.

The US President was asked about the possibility of the Russian leader attending, as Vladimir Putin's spokesperson offered an ambigious answer to the question.

In a dramatic shift, Trump's envoy, Keith Kellogg, has called for a complete ceasefire to end Europe's longest war since World War II. Despite initial hesitations, Trump is moving closer to Ukraine, distancing himself from Putin's regime.

US President's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will arrive in Istanbul, Türkiye, on Friday, May 16, reports The Guardian. As the outlet reports, Witkoff told journalists that he and Rubio will head to Istanbul on Friday for talks regarding Russia and Ukraine.