President-elect Donald Trump said he is planning a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he wants to end the "bloody mess" of the Ukraine war.

President-elect Donald Trump said a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is being set up, raising the prospect that the incoming US leader could push to start negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Donald Trump's statements that the war began due to Joe Biden's support of Kyiv joining NATO.

President-elect Trump said late Thursday that a meeting is in the works with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine. Why it matters: Trump said on the campaign trail that he would swiftly end the nearly three-year-old war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office.

The Ukrainian president argued that the absence of NATO membership and concrete security guarantees contributed to Russia’s decision to launch the full-scale invasion.