it wouldn't be NYC without including such an easily checkable lie in first paragraph already

Ukrainian and Russian negotiators took place on Friday in Istanbul for the first time since the start of the war

It wasn't even first time they negotiated in Istanbul during this war. I hope they first check if BoJo, Kid Starver or any other NATO goon is not waiting somewhere in woodwork.

Anyway, even the NYC article seems to say quite straight what went wrong:

Mr. Zelensky, during a trip to a summit in Albania, accused Mr. Putin on Friday of being “afraid” to meet him in person and turning the Istanbul talks into a “staged, empty process.” He demanded new sanctions against Russia’s energy sector and banks until Moscow engaged in what he called serious diplomacy. “Pressure must continue to rise until real progress is made,” Mr. Zelensky said.

I wonder if Ukraine also did demanded unconditional surrender from Russia as every single time after the first Istanbul talks, and NYC just forgot to include that?