**US and Russia to Meet in Turkey, But No Talks on Ukraine**
The US and Russian governments will meet in Istanbul on February 27. However, there will be no discussion about the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Washington and Moscow would hold a second round of talks in Turkey just over a week after their first direct talks since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The US State Department has confirmed that Ukraine is not on the agenda for these talks. Instead, the meeting will focus on reopening embassies and diplomatic missions, one of the main objectives from the previous Saudi Arabia talks.
**Ukraine Not Invited**
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has said that Kyiv will not accept any decisions about its future that arise from negotiations that exclude Ukraine. No Ukrainians were invited to participate in the US-Russia talks in Riyadh.
US President Donald Trump has made claims that a ceasefire deal between Kyiv and Moscow is imminent. However, this has alarmed Ukrainian and European leaders.
**Meeting with Trump**
Zelensky is set to meet with Trump on February 28 to sign a critical minerals agreement and press the US to provide Ukraine with security guarantees.