Vladimir Putin snubs Zelensky in peace talks as Kremlin issues statement

Ukraine's President has been brutally snubbed by after rumours swirled over face-to-face talks between the two. The has tonight issued a statement confirming that the Russian despot will now be sending a delegate in his place to the peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey. Zelensky said he would travel to Istanbul for what was expected to be the first direct meeting between the world leaders in six years and warned that refusal to do so on Putin's part would indicate that "he does not want to end the war".

He also pledged to "do everything to agree on a ceasefire, because it is with [Putin] that I must negotiate a ceasefire, as only he can decide on it". Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky will engage in the negotiations in Putin's place, the Kremlin has confirmed.

On Sunday, the Russian leader proposed direct talks with "without any preconditions" but was slow to respond to plans for a meeting this week, brokered by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoan.

US officials have also confirmed that President Donald Trump won't attend the talks after he suggested he could travel to Turkey alongside American delegates, telling reporters that his presence might encourage Putin to attend.

"I know he would like me to be there and that's a possibility," he said. "If we could end the war, I'd be thinking about that."

Trump has made it a central objective of his administration to end the Eastern European conflict, and appeared to harden his approach towards Russia in recent weeks, calling on Moscow to stop bombarding Ukraine with missile strikes and come to the negotiating table.

Ukrainian presidental advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said Zelensky would not meet any Russian officials in Istanbul except Putin, adding that continued lower-level talks were simply "dragging out" the peace process.

It comes after Moscow rejected a 30-day ceasefire proposed by Ukraine and European leaders this week and amid continuing criticism that Russia's focus appears to be on capturing more Ukrainian land, rather than advancing peace efforts.