Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t show up in Turkey on Thursday for proposed direct peace talks with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was waiting for him in the capital of Ankara after challenging the Kremlin leader to face-to-face discussions on ending their 3-year-old war.

President Trump said Thursday he was not surprised that Russian President Vladimir Putin was a no-show for peace talks with Ukraine being held in Turkey, attributing it to his own absence. “I actually said,

Top European diplomats accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of undermining talks with Ukraine aimed at securing a halt to his war, though the US struck a more cautious tone ahead of a potential meeting in Turkey.