Vladimir Putin’s 25-year vice-like grip on Russia ends if he accedes to peace talks with Ukraine, experts say. The despot faces mutiny on all fronts at home - notably his army and the rise of “armed” opposition - with acceding to a ceasefire seen as a show of ultimate weakness.

There has been no direct response from the Kremlin to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s call for Putin to meet him for face-to-face talks in Turkey on Thursday. Anton Gerashchenko, former deputy minister at the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs and a trusted lieutenant of Zelensky, said: “Why is Putin stalling for time, lying, and clinging to the war?

“The ceasefire will not play to the advantage of the Kremlin elites and Putin himself. Putin's power relies on war.

“The end [of the war in Ukraine] means the emergence of opposition (and possibly an armed one), huge economic problems that cannot be blamed on the war, and redistribution of assets and property.

“Putin's power model cannot exist outside of war because, with peace, he loses control over the country.

“A part of Russian society, fuelled by propaganda, interprets peace talks as betrayal, and the end of the war will naturally lead to the emergence of an armed and ideologically-motivated opposition inside the country.

“Putin is very much afraid of his own army. Keeping it in line is only possible at the front in an infinitely protracted war, so we see the Kremlin delaying a real peaceful solution to the war by any means necessary.”

Russia launched more than 100 drones in a flurry of nighttime attacks, the Ukrainian air force, after Moscow effectively rejected an unconditional ceasefire but indicated it would participate in talks without preconditions.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to say who might travel to Istanbul for Thursday’s muted meeting in Istanbul.

He said: “Overall, we’re determined to seriously look for ways to achieve a long-term peaceful settlement. That is all.”

Since its "special military operation" invasion in 2022 Russian forces have taken around one-fifth of Ukraine in Europe's biggest conflict since the Second World War.

Kyiv has refused to concede territory to Russia as part of any peace deal, including Crimea which is regarded as occupied Ukrainian territory, while Moscow wants assurances its neighbour will not join the Nato military alliance.

When Russian President Boris Yeltsin stepped down on New Year's Eve in 1999 his parting instruction to his successor Putin, then Prime Minister, was: "Take care of Russia!"

The number of victims from the three-year conflict is impossible to verify and varies widely, but some military experts claim at least 250,000 people have been killed.

US President Donald Trump said he was optimistic about the prospect of talks, saying there is “the potential for a good meeting” between Putin and Zelensky, and that he was “thinking about flying over” from his visit to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Russia has so far rejected the ceasefire proposal by America and Europe but hinted he would enter into talks.

Ukraine, along with its “Coalition of the Willing” European allies, demanded Moscow accept a ceasefire before negotiations started. The Kremlin refused and instead called for direct negotiations in Istanbul.

Failure to adhere to the ceasefire would see further sanctions, European leaders said.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, President Zelensky said: “There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire — full, lasting, and reliable — and Ukraine is ready to meet.”