Despite Trump's positivity, the meeting is far from guaranteed. Putin has repeatedly refused to meet with Zelenskyy during the conflict, having consistently sought to undermine the Ukrainian president's legitimacy. Russian officials rarely use Zelenskyy's name, preferring to refer to "the Kyiv regime."

Trump made the announcement after a day of talks with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a delegation of top European officials. He said he'd meet with the two leaders afterward, but did not say when.

With a chance to make a better second impression in the Oval Office, gratitude diplomacy was front and center for Zelenskyy. In addition to thanking the president six times, Zelenskyy extended gratitude to Melania Trump for personally writing to Russian President Vladimir Putin to think about the Ukrainian children and urge peace.