White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

U.S. President Donald Trump says he has called Russian President Vladimir Putin and begun to arrange a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a critical step toward bringing a possible end to Russia's war on Ukraine.

As President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and top European leaders to energize months of stalled U.S.-led efforts to halt Russia's 3 1/2-year-old war, the tone and style of the sit-down was far different than when Zelenskyy was hounded out of the White House in February.

Trump didn't rule out the possibility of American troops' helping to guarantee peace between Ukraine and Russia should the leaders reach an agreement.

Zelenskyy and Trump expressed hopes that talks with Ukrainian and European leaders at the White House could lead to trilateral talks with Putin to bring an end to his war on Ukraine.

The New York Times is reporting that President Donald Trump paused his meeting with Ukranian President Volodymr Zelenskyy and other European leaders to call Russian President Vladimir Putin. A senior White House official told NBC News that Trump "took President Putin’s phone call in the Oval Office.

Trump made the announcement after a day of talks with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a delegation of top European officials. He said he'd meet with the two leaders afterward, but did not say when.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy waves as he meets U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 18, 2025.