Nothing will happen on Ukraine until ‘Putin and I get together’, Trump says

US President Donald Trump suggested that significant progress in Ukraine peace talks is unlikely until he and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in person, the BBC reports.

The BBC asked Trump on board Air Force One whether he was disappointed by the level of the delegation that Russia has sent to Istanbul for the talks.

"Look, nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together. Okay?" Trump said.

"And obviously he wasn't going to go. He was going to go, but he thought I was going to go.

"He wasn't going if I wasn't there and I don't believe anything's going to happen, whether you like it or not, until he and I get together, but we're going to have to get it solved because too many people are dying."

Talks between Russia and Ukraine are still expected to take place in Istanbul today.

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky earlier accused Russia of sending 'stand-in props' to peace talks.