Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Emmanuel Macron of France used the gathering as a stage to cast themselves as would-be peacemakers in the war in Ukraine.
The Kremlin did not explain why it was delayed or even that it had been planned at all. But the caginess telegraphed the rapid speed and apparent improvisation with which Moscow is plotting out its next moves.
Kremlin Pushes for Staging Annexation Votes; U S Calls Them a Sham nytimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nytimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.