A leading security think-tank has warned that Russia might be able to launch an attack on a Nato member state in two years time, with Vladimir Putin, three years after his invasion of Ukraine started,

A security think-tank has warned that Russia could be in a position to launch an attack on a Nato member state in just two years time

NATO countries could face a direct confrontation with Vladimir Putin within “two years,” according to a new report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). The warning comes as the Russian president opted not to attend peace talks in Turkey with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend Thursday's talks, despite an invitation from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders.

Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their first direct peace talks in three years, both countries said Thursday, but hopes for a breakthrough remained dim after Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face in Turkey.