Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky might meet Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in Turkey on Thursday – if the Russian leader decides to show up for a summit that he himself suggested.

The Russian economy is in an increasingly precarious state as a result of a shift to a war mode and of Western sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, a report by the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) said on Tuesday.

The talks took place in the warring capitals of Moscow and Kyiv, from Washington and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to countries across Europe.

Ukrainian drone strikes have heightened anxiety across Moscow ahead of this year’s May 9 parade on Red Square, where President Vladimir Putin will be watching with other leaders.

Accused of supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the well-known Russian bard Sergei Nikitin, who later categorically rejected the accusations, spoke on the occasion of the Physicist's Day at Moscow State University (Moscow State University).

Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski says is ordering the closure of Russia’s consulate in the southern city of Krakow after Polish authorities said Russia was responsible for a fire that destroyed a shopping center in Warsaw last year.

Turkish officials told Bloomberg that while they don't expect Trump to visit Istanbul, they are not ruling it out, and preparations for any scenario are underway.

The attacks came a day before a Russian-proposed cease-fire was to take effect and as Moscow prepared to welcome foreign dignitaries for a parade.

Moscow on Wednesday said it would send a delegation to Istanbul to meet with Ukrainian officials, bringing the two at-war countries together for direct talks.