Vladimir Putin will not meet with Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin has confirmed.

The Russian delegation will instead be headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinksy, according to a Kremlin statement which ended speculation that the Russian president could meet Mr Zelensky for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Zelensky said he would attend the peace talks but only if Putin were present.

Putin first proposed direct negotiations in Turkey “without any preconditions” on Sunday but he did not say who would attend from Moscow’s side.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump, who is in Qatar for the second-leg of a four-day trip to the Middle East, has no plans to join the talks after visiting the United Arab Emirates, an adviser said.

‘He’d like me to be there’

Mr Trump had toyed with the idea of going to Turkey if Putin travelled, claiming that the Russian president had wanted him there.

Mr Trump had said that Putin wanted him to be present for the talks in Turkey.

Speaking earlier on Wednesday, the US president said he did not know whether his Russian counterpart would appear at the talks but said he would “like me to be there”.