By Tom Balmforth and Vladimir Soldatkin ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a second-tier team of negotiators to hold peace talks with Ukraine in Turkey on Thursday, spurning Kyiv's challenge to go there in person to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Ministers from NATO states slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin for not personally attending cease-fire talks in Turkey.

The chances of a breakthrough for peace in Ukraine have dropped after Moscow sent a low-level team to negotiate with a Kyiv delegation in Turkey. Two days ago, the prospect of a three-way meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky,

Despite proposing the direct talks in Istanbul, Putin’s name did not appear on a list released by the Kremlin on Wednesday of Russian officials who would be attending the negotiations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Turkey early Thursday for scheduled peace talks, but Russian President Vladimir Putin did not show up. Zelensky hammered the Russian delegation upon landing in Ankara,

President Donald Trump may join in on Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Turkey on Thursday, as the world awaits to see if Russian President Vladimir Putin will show up.

Russian president Vladimir Putin stayed away from peace talks in Turkey, prompting criticism from Western officials that the Kremlin isn’t serious about the efforts to end the war.

Russia's Vladimir Putin spurned a challenge to meet face-to-face with Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Turkey on Thursday, instead sending a second-tier delegation to planned peace talks, while Ukraine's president said his defence minister would head up Kyiv's team.

The announcement was made ahead of an expected prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia on Friday – an outcome of last week’s face-to-face talks in Turkey, the first time the two countries have held direct talks at any level in three years.

Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their first direct peace talks in three years, both countries said Thursday, but hopes for a breakthrough remained dim after Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face in Turkey.