A Russian delegation has arrived in Turkey for direct talks with Ukraine. But Kyiv has yet to make an official announcement about the meeting, and the starting time remains uncertain.



Russia proposed holding the meeting on Thursday in Istanbul. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.



Putin said his aide Vladimir Medinsky would lead the delegation. Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson said it had already arrived in Istanbul. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told CNN on Thursday that Putin will not join the talks with Ukraine.



Strict security measures are in place at the venue where the meeting is expected to take place. Reporters from around the world started gathering there from the early morning.



Russia's state-run Tass news agency reported the talks would start before noon, local time, but another state-run media outlet said they would begin in the afternoon.



The Turkish presidential office said Zelenskyy was going to meet with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the capital Ankara from after 1 p.m.



The AFP and Reuters news agencies reported that Zelenskyy wants to meet Erdogan first before deciding what steps to take on peace talks with Russia.