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

Before the talks even began, President Donald Trump predicted there would be no progress unless he and Russian President Vladimir Putin were involved.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that Kyiv and its partners were considering arranging a high-level meeting between Ukraine, Russia, the United States, European Union countries and Britain as part of a push to end Moscow's war in Ukraine.

As President Donald Trump prepares for crucial calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his administration faces ongoing talks to secure trade deals.

Referring to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Trump said the discussion will focus on "stopping the bloodbath."

Russia overnight into Sunday launched its most intense drone attack on Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion in 2022.

Ukrainian President Vlodomyr Zelensky shared details on his meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Rome on Sunday.

Long-lasting peace and protection of rights of the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine must be the core result of Russia’s “special military operation”, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.