Russia and Ukraine’s first direct talks in three years began Friday with hopes as dim as the gray Istanbul skies.

Ukraine rallied support from its Western allies on Friday after Kyiv and Moscow failed to agree to a ceasefire at their first direct talks in more than three years, with Russia presenting conditions that a Ukrainian source described as "non-starters".

But the two sides failed to broker a temporary cease-fire or a meeting between their two leaders, a sign of how far apart they remain on ending the conflict.