Putin skips out on the direct Ukraine peace talks that he suggested

The Kremlin confirmed Thursday that Russia's President Putin would skip Moscow's first direct peace negotiations with Ukraine that Putin himself had suggested.

ISTANBUL — High-stakes peace talks Thursday between Russia and Ukraine that were called for by Vladimir Putin hit speed bumps as the Kremlin confirmed he would be skipping the negotiations and President Donald Trump added that "nothing" would happen unless he and his Russian counterpart attended.

Uncertainty over the start date, location and whether either side would even participate made for chaotic scenes in the Turkish capital, Ankara, as well as in Antalya and Istanbul — where some 200 journalists and crew were massed outside the Ottoman-era Dolmabahçe Palace with no clear idea of when talks would get underway.

A back and forth between Kyiv, Moscow and the Trump administration hinted at the possibility of a three-way meeting involving Trump, Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. That did not ultimately materialize.

While speaking to reporters on Air Force One en route to the United Arab Emirates, Trump was asked about the level of the delegation Russia sent to Turkey.

“Look, nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together, OK?” he said, adding that Putin did not lead the delegation because Trump had chosen not to attend. “He wasn’t going if I wasn’t there.”