Despite Trump's positivity, the meeting is far from guaranteed. Putin has repeatedly refused to meet with Zelenskyy during the conflict, having consistently sought to undermine the Ukrainian president's legitimacy. Russian officials rarely use Zelenskyy's name, preferring to refer to "the Kyiv regime."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for a “strong reaction” from the United States if Russia refuses to sit down for a bilateral meeting with him.

Zelensky told journalists on Wednesday that Ukraine is waiting for “security guarantees architecture” to be established within seven to 10 days before setting a date for talks with the Kremlin.