EU chief Ursula von der Leyen vowed Europe would "increase the pressure" until Russia's Vladimir Putin is ready for peace, as the first talks in three years between Moscow and Kyiv got underway in Turkey.

"We will increase the pressure," von der Leyen told reporters at a gathering of European leaders in Tirana, saying work was underway on a new package of sanctions. "We want peace and we have to increase the pressure until President Putin is ready for it," she said.

President Donald Trump said Friday he's moving to set up direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as he can.

Trump's push for a face-to-face meeting comes after Putin opted to skip talks between Russia and Ukraine set for Friday in Turkey.

Russia and Ukraine are due to hold their first direct peace talks in three years Friday, gathering in Istanbul for Turkish-brokered negotiations, but officials and observers expect them to yield little immediate progress on stopping the more than 3-year war.

A Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov was due to meet with a low-level Russian team headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.

Russia and Ukraine traded insults on Thursday as negotiators were due to meet in Turkey for the first direct peace talks in more than three years.

Turkey's top diplomat said Thursday said there was cause for hope ahead of Istanbul talks between Russian and Ukrainian mediators in what would be their first direct talks in over three years.

Ukraine appeared to cast doubt on whether peace talks with Russia in Turkey would take place on Thursday, with a senior official saying Kyiv's delegation was waiting for an instruction from President Volodymyr Zelensky.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday a deal was close on Iran's nuclear program that would avoid military action, sending oil prices tumbling as he boasted of raising "trillions of dollars" on a Gulf tour.

A Russian delegation landed in Istanbul on Thursday for the first direct peace talks with Ukraine in more than three years -- but without President Vladimir Putin despite many world leaders urging Russia's leader to attend.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told lawmakers Wednesday that recent arson attacks on properties linked to him represent "an attack on all of us, on democracy and the values that we stand for."

The remarks by Starmer during weekly prime minister's questions were his first since the fires came to light earlier this week.

The talks have taken place in the warring capitals of Moscow and Kyiv, from Washington and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to countries across Europe. Now, all eyes are finally turning to Istanbul to seek an end to Russia's 3-year-old, full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed restarting direct peace talks Thursday with Ukraine in the Turkish city that straddles Asia and Europe. And President Volodymyr Zelenskyy challenged the Kremlin leader to meet in Turkey in person.