Questions have been raised over what can actually be achieved today with Russia and Ukraine both backing away from sending their leaders to peace talks in Turkey.

After the Kremlin confirmed it's sending low-level official Vladimir Medinsky, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decided to send his Defence Minister instead.

Zelenskyy says Russia isn't serious about real talks after he'd challenged Vladimir Putin to be there in person. 

Kyiv based foreign policy analyst Jimmy Rushton told Ryan Bridge essentially, Putin had challenged Zelenskyy first.

The timing of the meeting remains unconfirmed. 

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