Donald Trump is speaking to Fox News and says he hopes Vladimir Putin “is going to be good”.

“If he’s not, it’s going to be a rough situation,” he says on the phone call, adding, however, that “it’s possible the Russian president might not want to make a deal”.

The US president says he thinks Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin are “doing okay”.

Asked about the prospect of security guarantees for Ukraine, Trump says European nations “are going to frontload it”.

“They want to have boots on the ground,” he adds, referring to France, Germany and the UK. “I don’t think it’s going to be a problem.”

When asked about whether he can give assurances there won’t be US boots on the ground, Trump says “you have my assurance and I’m president”, adding: “I’m just trying to stop people being killed.”

During the wide-ranging phone interview, Trump suggests US support for Ukraine’s security could come in the form of air power.

The US president also says he always thought that Ukraine was a “buffer” between Russia and Europe.

Trump says he had a “very good call” with Putin after his meeting with Zelenskyy and European leaders yesterday.

“I didn’t do it in front of them, I thought it would have been disrespectful to President Putin,” he says.

“Putin wouldn’t talk to the people from Europe.”

Donald Trump has said Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin are “in the process” of setting up a bilateral meeting.

It casts further doubt over the much-touted prospect of a trilateral summit including the US president.

“Now I think it would be better if they met without me,” Trump told radio host Mark Levin.

“If necessary, I’ll go.”

There has been so far no confirmation from Russia that a potential bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelenskiy is being planned.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said contacts involving national leaders must be prepared “with the utmost thoroughness” and cannot be pursued for the sake of “media coverage or evening broadcasts.”

Trump discussed Budapest as a venue for a summit involving Zelenskyy and Putin with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban yesterday, a White House official said.

Istanbul, where delegations for the two countries have met previously, has also been mentioned, a senior administration official told Reuters.

Switzerland also said it would be ready to host Putin for any peace talks.

The head of Ukraine’s presidential office says Russia’s strikes show it is “in no hurry to end the war”.

Andriy Yermak wrote in a post on X that a fire broke out at a fuel and energy infrastructure facility in Odesa, and said civilian homes were also damaged in the southern region.

“Strengthening security in the air, on land and at sea is our priority,” he added.

“Increasing pressure on Russia to end the war is equally as essential.”

By Dominic Waghorn, international affairs editor, in Kyiv

Ukrainians have given a lukewarm reaction to this week’s White House summit.

There is bafflement and unease here after US President Donald Trump switched sides to support Vladimir Putin, dropping calls for a ceasefire and proposing that Ukraine surrender territory.

While allies are talking up the prospects of progress, people here remain unconvinced.