President Donald Trump says he is skipping Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul this week and downplayed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision not to attend.

US President Donald Trump has said that he may go to Turkey for Russia-Ukraine peace discussions only "if something happened". Both the countries are expected to hold direct talks to end the conflict.

Russia's delegation arrived in Istanbul for peace talks with Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday, and a Ukrainian official said a delegation including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was on its way the the Turkish capital Ankara.