Luke Vargas

Hopes for Ukraine-Russia peace talks crumble as Vladimir Putin turns down a face-to-face meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky. Plus, the Supreme Court prepares to hear its first oral arguments over President Trump's second-term agenda and Trans-Pacific trade roars back to life.

Hopes for Ukraine-Russia peace talks crumble as Vladimir Putin turns down a face-to-face meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky. Plus, the Supreme Court prepares to hear its first oral arguments over President Trump's second-term agenda and Trans-Pacific trade roars back to life.

It's Thursday, May 15th. I'm Luke Vargas for The Wall Street Journal. And here is the AM edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories moving your world today.

It's Thursday, May 15th. I'm Luke Vargas for The Wall Street Journal. And here is the AM edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories moving your world today.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is unlikely to get the face-to-face meeting in Turkey with Vladimir Putin that he'd been calling for this week, with the Russian president instead sending a junior team of officials to Istanbul, further diminishing prospects for direct negotiations, let alone an agreement to end the war. James Marson is the journal's Ukraine bureau chief.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is unlikely to get the face-to-face meeting in Turkey with Vladimir Putin that he'd been calling for this week, with the Russian president instead sending a junior team of officials to Istanbul, further diminishing prospects for direct negotiations, let alone an agreement to end the war. James Marson is the journal's Ukraine bureau chief.

James, what can we read into this move by Putin? We had played a clip of President Zelensky earlier in the week in which he seemed to be pressing Putin into attending, basically saying that's what President Trump wanted to see happen. And yet, evidently, Putin didn't feel pressure here.

James, what can we read into this move by Putin? We had played a clip of President Zelensky earlier in the week in which he seemed to be pressing Putin into attending, basically saying that's what President Trump wanted to see happen. And yet, evidently, Putin didn't feel pressure here.

Those don't seem like officials Zelensky is going to be very keen to meet with, given the history that you've just described there. Does he risk being seen as too eager to talk, being the one flying out in advance before knowing who he's even going to be meeting with?

Those don't seem like officials Zelensky is going to be very keen to meet with, given the history that you've just described there. Does he risk being seen as too eager to talk, being the one flying out in advance before knowing who he's even going to be meeting with?

I mean, not to preempt what happens today, but it doesn't sound like things are really heading in a very productive direction here. And maybe we could just write this off as another unsuccessful attempt to end the war. And yet the X factor here, right, is that it's the U.S. that's threatening to walk away if there's not any progress.

I mean, not to preempt what happens today, but it doesn't sound like things are really heading in a very productive direction here. And maybe we could just write this off as another unsuccessful attempt to end the war. And yet the X factor here, right, is that it's the U.S. that's threatening to walk away if there's not any progress.

Would you say we are now a step closer to seeing really whether Washington is going to follow through with that?

Would you say we are now a step closer to seeing really whether Washington is going to follow through with that?

James Marcin leads The Wall Street Journal's Ukraine coverage. James, thank you as always. Pleasure. In trade news, it appears that President Trump is turning his attention to another major emerging economy, India. Speaking in Qatar, Trump called India one of the highest tariff nations in the world, but also claimed that the Indian government had offered the U.S.

James Marcin leads The Wall Street Journal's Ukraine coverage. James, thank you as always. Pleasure. In trade news, it appears that President Trump is turning his attention to another major emerging economy, India. Speaking in Qatar, Trump called India one of the highest tariff nations in the world, but also claimed that the Indian government had offered the U.S.

a deal where they're willing to charge no tariffs. At the same time, trade talks between the U.S. and European Union are speeding up. Economics editor Paul Hannan says that trade officials from across the bloc are meeting this morning.

a deal where they're willing to charge no tariffs. At the same time, trade talks between the U.S. and European Union are speeding up. Economics editor Paul Hannan says that trade officials from across the bloc are meeting this morning.

Well, those trade talks come after a thaw in U.S.-China relations earlier in the week. That's proving to be a welcome relief for American companies, which journal reporter Joe Wallace told us are resuming orders from Asia.

Well, those trade talks come after a thaw in U.S.-China relations earlier in the week. That's proving to be a welcome relief for American companies, which journal reporter Joe Wallace told us are resuming orders from Asia.