President Donald Trump has taken an intense personal interest in ending the war between Ukraine and Russia, recently suggesting that “nothing” will happen until he has an official meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It was the first direct Russia-Ukraine peace talks since the early weeks of Moscow’s 2022 invasion. While both sides agreed to a prisoner swap, they remain far apart on ending the fighting.

Peace in Ukraine remains as elusive as when Russian tanks first streamed across its borders more than three years ago. This week’s talks in Istanbul—talks that Vladimir Putin himself proposed—show he isn’t yet ready to do a deal.