President Trump seeks to broker a meeting of the two leaders to end Europe’s most destructive war in generations.

Why it matters: Putin has shown no interest in sitting down with Zelensky through 3.5 years of war. President Trump claims that's now changed, and that a presidential meeting is the key to unlocking peace.

Zelensky talks puts Kremlin in a bind: accept and legitimise Kyiv’s leader or refuse and face fresh US sanctions. Read here

President Trump had suggested a meeting between Russia and Ukraine’s leaders could be a potential next step on the path to peace. Russian state news media barely mentioned the idea.

While the White House insists President Donald Trump wants to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine as soon as possible, President Vladimir Putin has not committed to a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

On "Forbes Newsroom," Cliff May, founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies discussed President Trump's separate meetings with Putin and Zelensky.

On Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who sat in on the meetings with Mr. Putin at the American air base outside of Anchorage, disputed the idea that the Europeans were coming as a posse to protect Mr. Zelensky from a repeat of the February shouting match.

President Trump is working to arrange a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelensky as Russia intensifies its assault on Ukraine. With Putin facing war crime charges limiting venue options, Budapest and Geneva are being considered as potential meeting locations.