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 reversal only few hours after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said an overall peace agreement, and not a ceasefire, was the best way to end the war. That statement echoed Putin’s view that Russia is not interested in a temporary truce, and instead is seeking a long-term settlement that takes Moscow’s interests into account.

Trump complimented Zelenskiy on his black suit in a briefing punctuated with smiles and laughter. It was a much different scene than their chilly meeting in February, when the Ukrainian president's military-style attire in the Oval Office drew ire.

President Trump and European leaders met for a one-of-a-kind summit at the White House on Monday to push toward a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. But by the end of a marathon day of meetings, details on what such an agreement might entail remained elusive.

Melania Trump has made her mark at her husband’s Ukrainian peace meetings without actually being present at all. The first lady was thanked in a separate X post from Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday night after several references to the 55-year-old absentee on Monday during Trump’s meeting with the Ukrainian president and a number of European leaders.

Leaders of European countries presented a united front Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as they hope to steer President Trump away from concessions to the Kremlin.

The problem is that they have no strategy of their own for ending the Ukraine war, other than hoping to contain Russia over the longer term.

Hours before he was due to host Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, Trump also said there would be "no getting back" the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, eight years before launching its full-scale invasion.