President Donald Trump is hoping separate phone calls with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will make progress toward a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine.

As Russia and Ukraine hold their first direct talks in years, Trump says there won't be a real breakthrough to end the war until he sits down with Putin.

On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly said he would bring an end to the war within a day of taking office. Putin said Russia's goal is to remove what he called the root causes of the conflict in Ukraine and create conditions for lasting peace, according to the RBC news agency.