Moscow's goal in the expected peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul is achieving "sustainable peace" by addressing the "root causes of the conflict" rather than a ceasefire, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on May 15.

Vladimir Putin's regime has made moves to grow the Russian military and could strike elsewhere if peace is achieved in Ukraine.

ISTANBUL, Turkey — Russia’s delegation arrived in Istanbul for peace talks with Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday.

The UK Defense Ministry said a combination of bad handling and storage practices were "highly likely" to have caused the catastrophic blasts in April.

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.

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.

Russia's position on a possible peace deal with Ukraine has changed to reflect changes on the frontlines where Russia has been advancing, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

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