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.

In a whispered conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron at a summit with other European leaders on Aug. 18, the U.S. president seemingly shared that he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin will agree to end the war in Ukraine in order to hand Trump a victory. The comment was picked up via hot mic, Fox News reported.

Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin could meet for the first time in six years in the hope of ending the Ukraine war - but it remains unclear just where the two leaders will come face-to-face. The White House is in the process of selecting a location for the potential meeting, that has been championed by the US president Donald Trump.

The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump wants to respect the American taxpayer, and isn't interested in writing "blank checks" to support Ukraine.

President Trump today said he will not send U.S. ground troops to Ukraine as part of any security guarantees for that country. As part of Trump’s push for peace, the White House said that Russian president Putin has agreed to meet with Ukraine’s president Zelenskyy.