U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said that a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin was being arranged, just days before he is set to take office.

“He wants to meet, and we’re setting it up… President Putin wants to meet, he’s said that even publicly, and we have to get that war over with, that’s a bloody mess”, - Trump said.

His remarks follow campaign promises to seek peace in Ukraine, which has been under Russian invasion since February 2022. However, the incoming president has yet to outline concrete ceasefire or peace agreement proposals.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier on Thursday that Putin would welcome Trump’s desire for contact, but so far there have been no formal requests. It would be more appropriate to wait for Trump to take office first, Peskov said.