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.

Donald Trump said that as president he would be able to resolve the Ukraine war in one day, speaking at a Republican presidential town hall Wednesday hosted by CNN. Photo: CNN

The president-elect had said the Russian leader wanted to meet him to discuss the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin stopped short of that, saying it could only happen after he takes office.

Representatives of US President-elect Donald Trump have acknowledged in discussions with European partners that they will not be able to end the war in Ukraine swiftly but have promised to continue supporting the country.

The Kremlin said Friday that President Vladimir Putin was open to talks with Donald Trump, after the incoming US president said a meeting between the pair was being set up.

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 whole [Trump] team is obsessed with strength and looking strong, so they’re recalibrating the Ukraine approach," one European official told the Financial Times.

The President-elect of the USA, Donald Trump, stated on Thursday that he is arranging a meeting with Vladimir Putin, and Putin is interested in meeting him. "We have to get that war over with," he declared.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced plans for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to address the Russia-Ukraine war. Speaking at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said, He wants to meet, and we are setting it up.