President Donald Trump said he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin would make a deal and that the threat of sanctions against Russia may have played a role in Moscow's push for a meeting, Reuters reported.
Trump is scheduled to meet with Putin in Alaska on Friday. The US president said he was not sure if an immediate ceasefire could be reached but expressed interest in brokering a peace agreement.
"He is, he really, I believe now, convinced that he will make a deal, he will make a deal. I think he will and we will find out," Trump said in an interview on "The Brian Kilmeade Show" on Fox News Radio.
Earlier in the day, Putin said the United States was making "sincere efforts" to end the war in Ukraine and suggested that Moscow and Washington agree to a nuclear arms deal as part of a broader push to consolidate peace.
During the Fox interview, Trump also mentioned that he had three locations in mind for a possible follow-up meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, though he noted that such a meeting was not guaranteed.
"Depending on what happens with my meeting, I will call President Zelensky and let's send him to where we will meet," Trump said.