President Donald Trump plans to meet face to face with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky together "as early as next week."
White House sources said the President plans to meet with the Russian President then his Ukranian counterpart shortly after, reports the New York Times.
Trump reportedly disclosed the plans in a call with European leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer, earlier today.
**ARE YOU READING THIS ON OUR APP? DOWNLOAD NOW FOR THE BEST GB NEWS EXPERIENCE**
A White House spokesman said Moscow expressed desire to speak with Trump.
Donald Trump took a firm stance on sex testing for the Olympics | REUTERS
Vladimir Putin | REUTERS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the Russian attacks 'demonstrative' | REUTERSWhite House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the President is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky .
"President Trump wants this brutal war to end."
Trump acknowledged that he spoke with European leaders after US envoy Steve Witkoff's "highly productive" meeting with Putin in Russia.
While noting that "great progress" was made during the meeting, Trump wrote on his Truth Social: "Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come."
LATEST FROM THE FRONTLINE IN URKAINE
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in 2019 | GETTY
Trump, who promised to end Russia's war in Ukraine on "day one" during his presidential campaign, has held several phone calls with Putin and has met with Zelensky since returning to the White House in January.
However, in recent weeks, he has become increasingly frustrated with the Kremlin over a lack of progress towards ending the three-year conflict.
The Ukrainian President said Trump had reiterated Kyiv's support for a just peace and its continued determination to defend itself.
Zelensky said: "Ukraine will definitely defend its independence. We all need a lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war that it itself started."
The Ukrainian President spoke with Trump this afternoon
|REUTERS
The White House said that no location had been proposed for any potential summit between the three leaders.
Meanwhile, Trump took a key step toward measures against Putin when he imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on imports from India, citing New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil.
No similar order was signed for China, which also imports Russian oil. The new measure raises tariffs on some Indian goods to as high as 50 per cent, among the steepest faced by any US trading partner.
The Kremlin says threats to penalise countries that trade with Russia are illegal.