Ukrainians believe Putin is "laughing at Trump in front of the whole world" after he sidestepped peace talks, leaving hopes for a ceasefire hanging by a thread.

Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia's delegation at peace talks on Ukraine in Turkey, said on Thursday that Moscow's aim was to secure a long-lasting peace with Kyiv by looking for common ground and removing the reasons for the conflict.

The Russian leader Vladimir Putin made a significant error by sending a low-level delegation to Istanbul for talks with Ukraine, according to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who spoke upon arriving at the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Tirana.