Russia, Ukraine swap peace roadmaps

Russia and Ukraine yesterday swapped plans for ending their three-year war during talks in Istanbul aiming to find a way out of Europe's largest conflict since World War II.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said any deal must not "reward" Russian leader Vladimir Putin, but said Kyiv was willing to take the "necessary steps for peace".

Urged on by US President Donald Trump, Moscow and Kyiv have opened direct negotiations for the first time since the early weeks of Russia's invasion, but have yet to make progress towards an agreement.

Yesterday's talks come a day after Ukraine carried out one of its most brazen and successful attacks ever on Russian soil -- using drones to hit dozens of strategic bombers parked at airbases thousands of kilometres behind the front line.

A first round of meetings in Istanbul last month yielded a large-scale prisoner exchange but no pause in the fighting.