The Kremlin on Friday revealed that Russia’s negotiating team for the next round of direct peace talks with Ukraine, scheduled for Monday in Istanbul, will remain unchanged, with Putin aide Vladimir Medinsky again leading the delegation. During the first talks, Russia's team was met with widespread skepticism - given how 'low level' it was, and it didn't so much as include Foreign Minister and veteran diplomat Sergei Lavrov.

Currently, the Zelensky government is threatening to boycott the Monday meeting, given that Moscow has reportedly yet to hand over a draft outline of its peace terms.

On the other side, The New York Times says of a memorandum that Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umierov handed over to Russia contains provisions for an expansive ceasefire.

It's said to include a pause in fighting for land, air and sea...

Mr. Kellogg said Ukraine’s memorandum included 22 terms that he described as “pretty good” and “reasonable.”

A senior Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations, said the memorandum included provisions for a cease-fire on land, at sea and in the air, with monitoring to be carried out by international partners.

And Ukrainian media summarizes:

Kellogg has warned the Ukrainian side it needs to be at the table, even if Moscow doesn't divulge its outline ahead of time.

The Trump envoy said in an ABC interview, "I always caution [Kiev’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov]: don’t say things like that" - in reference to warnings Ukraine could skip the meeting. He pointed out, "Part of life is showing up, and you need to show you’re serious."

We earlier outlined the following demands of Russia which are expected to be the driving principles behind any new proposal presented next week:

Meanwhile, on the ground the NY Times says "Russia is pushing forward again on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine, opening a new front further north and ramping up a campaign of bombardment on Ukrainian cities — developments that Ukraine and some Western officials say shows that Moscow is not interested in a cease-fire."

"The authorities in Ukraine said that Russian attacks overnight on Friday involved 90 drones and two ballistic missiles that targeted the country’s north and south," according to the latest. "Emergency services said a strike had destroyed a postal facility in the southern Odesa region."

While the US has publicly said it's reasonable to expect 'no NATO expansion eastward' - it's anything but clear whether the White House is leaning on Zelensky to make territorial concessions, and these concessions are likely the only thing that can really end this war.