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.

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.

During the talks on Friday in Istanbul, Russia presented Ukraine with a series of conditions that must be met before a ceasefire can occur. Among them, the Kremlin includes the recognition of the annexation of Crimea and other regions and the adoption of a neutral status - Bloomberg reported on Saturday.