Trump: No Peace 'Until Putin and I Get Together'

Thursday might have been a big day in the quest for Russia-Ukraine peace, but Vladimir Putin opted to skip direct talks in Turkey. He sent a mid-level delegation instead, which Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed as "decorative," reports Reuters. Putin's decision ended any hope of a quick breakthrough, as President Trump acknowledged:

• "Look, nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together. OK?" Trump told a BBC reporter amid his Mideast trip. "He wasn't going if I wasn't there, and I don't believe anything's going to happen, whether you like it or not, until he and I get together, but we're going to have to get it solved because too many people are dying."

• Trump left open the possibility he might travel to Turkey on Friday should any developments happen, reports the New York Times. However, the Kremlin said Putin didn't plan to travel to Turkey or meet with Trump over the next few days.
• In a press conference after Putin's move, Zelensky said Russia isn't serious about peace. However, he said he would still have a Ukraine delegation headed by his defense chief meet with the Russians in Istanbul, per the Guardian.

(More Russia-Ukraine war stories.)