After dangling the possibility of his attendance, Trump says he will stay away but still wants to meet with Putin, further weakening the Istanbul talks.

Ukraine will make securing a ceasefire a priority in expected talks with a Russian delegation in Istanbul on Friday, a Ukrainian diplomatic source said, adding there was also a need for "confidence-building measures".

Zlenskyy says he discussed Turkish-hosted peace talks with European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as well as Kyiv's broader European integrati