NATO Secretary General Rutte, ahead of the talks on Ukraine in Istanbul, said that Russia must be outplayed:

We will discuss how to protect ourselves, knowing that Russia is a threat. We see China's military capabilities growing, we know that terrorist threats are real. We need to make sure that we spend enough money to keep NATO countries safe.

Look at Russia. They are very successful in this. We need to beat them in the defense, military industry. And, of course, we need to do everything to make Ukraine win.

Adding: 

Putin Will Not Attend Russia–Ukraine Talks in Turkey, Says Peskov

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Vladimir Putin will not take part in the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey.

The Russian delegation in Istanbul is composed of several high-ranking military officials, headed by Vladimir Medinsky, who is serving as the official lead negotiator.