US President Donald Trump On Wednesday said a meeting involving Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be arranged soon in an effort to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, now in its fifth year.

“I think with Russia, we’re making a lot of progress with Russia-Ukraine,” Trump told reporters early on October 28 after returning from Texas, where he held two midterm election campaign rallies.

“There’ll be a meeting set up here soon, with President Putin and President Zelensky,” he said, The Straits Times reported.

Asked when the summit might take place, Trump said it would happen “over the next not too long”, adding that an agreement could also be reached without a meeting.

He did not provide further details.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff accompanied Trump on his trip to Texas. Trump said they discussed both Russia and the war involving Iran.

Trump also said he would meet Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss nuclear disarmament, adding that Russia could also be part of the discussions.

During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump promised to end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office.

However, the battlefield remains deadlocked, and negotiations since his return to the White House have failed to produce a breakthrough.

In recent weeks, Trump has expressed frustration with Zelensky, blaming him for contributing to higher US energy prices through attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.

However, the war involving Iran, which began in late February, is considered a more significant factor behind rising petrol and diesel prices.

Rising costs of fuel, healthcare and housing have fuelled accusations that Trump has broken another campaign promise to lower prices.

These concerns have put Trump's Republican Party on the defensive ahead of next week's elections.