The talks have taken place in the warring capitals of Moscow and Kyiv, from Washington and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to countries across Europe. Now, all eyes are finally turning to Istanbul to seek an end to Russia's 3-year-old,

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 on Sunday said that Kyiv would meet with Moscow for talks in Istanbul on May 15 but said that Russia must first commit to a 30-day ceasefire starting on Monday.