Both Moscow and Kyiv each accused the other of violating a truce Ukraine had never agreed to — even as it prompted Ukraine, with backing from European leaders (France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Poland) and the United States (it seems), to demand an extended 30-day ceasefire from the Kremlin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will travel to Turkey's capital, Ankara, to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and will be available for direct talks with his Russian counterpart,

The new round of negotiations comes amid a long history of delaying tactics by the Russian side as the fighting in Ukraine grinds on.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed holding “direct talks” with Ukraine on Thursday in Istanbul, as European leaders and the United States attempt to put pressure on Moscow to agree to a 30-day ceasefire in order to bring an end to the three-year conflict.

Ukraine said Tuesday that if Vladimir Putin skips talks in Turkey it would be a "clear sign" to the world the Russian leader is not serious about peace, and the West should reply with boosted

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday he was in favour of imposing new sanctions on Russia in coming days if Moscow failed to agree to a ceasefire, mentioning financial services and oil and gas as possible targets.