Marco Rubio says the "only way we’re going to have a breakthrough here is between President Trump and President Putin".

ISTANBUL − Russia's Vladimir Putin spurned a challenge to meet face-to-face with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Turkey, instead sending a second-tier delegation to planned peace talks, while Ukraine's president said his defence minister would head up Kyiv's team.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declined to come to Turkey for the talks as President Trump turned up pressure for negotiations.