Russia plays for time at Istanbul ceasefire talks as Putin eyes more gains in Ukraine

BRUSSELS – Another week of false hopes ended in Europe with the failure of Russia and Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire that could stop their war.

After

meeting on May 16

in the Turkish city of Istanbul – the first such direct encounter in three years – all that the Russian and Ukrainian representatives could claim as achievements was a deal for each side to release 1,000 war prisoners, and a vague promise to meet again at some future, unspecified date.