Ahead of the latest round of talks, both parties were required to submit their proposals. Ukraine has submitted its memorandum to both the U.S. and Russian sides already, while the latter has promised to present their proposals at the negotiation table in Istanbul.

Dmytro Zhmilo, executive director of think tank the Center for Security and Cooperation, said this formed part of a stalling tactic.

"The Russians will stall. First the memorandum, then intentions, then some theses, then some points. This can go on endlessly. We have already seen this, for example with the Minsk agreements in 2014 and 2015," Zhmilo said.

At the same time, while it may behave haughtily towards Ukraine, the Kremlin is mindful of how the Trump administration in the U.S. views things.

New Geopolitics Research Network think tank analyst Mykhailo Samus: "I think Russia will soften its stance so as not to anger Donald Trump too much and to show that they want to proceed with negotiations. At the same time, it is clear that there will be no concrete decision about a ceasefire on June 2."

The U.S. president has made repeated threats to withdraw from the negotiation process. So does this mean Ukraine can no longer count on U.S. support?

Zhmilo answered this by saying: "I don't think Trump will do that, but for us it would actually be better if Washington exited the entire process. I believe the Americans will stick to their current positions — when we seek weapons from around the world, they grant permission. For example, Germany delivered 125 HIMARS and 100 Patriot missiles to us. The Americans gave permission for that. Recently they also authorized Australia to supply us with old Abrams tanks. The best outcome would be if this scheme kept working and the Americans stepped out of the negotiation process."

With that in mind, angering the Americans or having a repeat performance of the late-February Oval Office dressing down is the last thing Ukraine needs right now.

Political scientist Denis Podjatsev said: "It is important for our president and the negotiating team to show the world, our partners, and also our own people that we are ready for negotiations. The ball is not in our court right now, and everything depends on who is sitting in Moscow and thinks they can keep waging war for another year."

Saturday was also the last day of the academic year in Ukraine, the third full school year since the full-scale invasion began. So what do young people at a Kyiv school think of the prospects of peace or a ceasefire?

Bohdan and Yehor said they did not believe peace would come any time soon. "Russia is an aggressor that never stops. They will go all the way to take our entire country. That's why I think the war won't end anytime soon. /.../ Russia will never stop. Ukraine must stop them."

Another, Artyom, said: "On one hand, negotiations are a step forward no matter what. On the other, the sides have very different positions. That's why they can't resolve things right away."

The Kremlin dismissed a proposal made Friday by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, visiting Kyiv, to have a face-to-face meeting in Istanbul between U.S. President Donald Trump, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump briefly paused the flow of intelligence aid to Ukraine in early March; while prized, intel is easier to turn off and on than military hardware aid, which requires long lead times when orders are made. Trump has not denied U.S. permission to other countries, such as Australia, wishing to supply U.S.-made military aid to Ukraine.

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