US President Donald Trump said on Sunday (Feb 16) that he could meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin "very soon". Trump added that he believes that Putin genuinely wants to stop fighting in Ukraine. 

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While responding to a question on a potential upcoming meeting in Saudi Arabia between the two leaders, Trump told reporters, "No time set, but it could be very soon." 

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Last week, Trump spoke with Putin on the phone and said he is willing to stand with Russia's demand to keep Ukraine out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). 

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The call was the first known conversation between the presidents since Trump's new term began in January.

The conversation took place after Trump's keenness to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. A reporter asked Trump, "What do you think he [Putin] wants ultimately in Ukraine?"

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Trump responded, "I think he wants to stop fighting. I see that. We spoke long and hard. [US Middle East envoy] Steve Witkoff, who was with him for a very extended period, like about three hours. I think he wants to stop fighting." 

"They have a big, powerful machine, you understand that. And they defeated Hitler and they defeated Napoleon, you know, they've been fighting a long time. They've done it before. But I think he'd like to—I think he would like to stop fighting," he added. 

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On whether he believes Putin wants to seize the entirety of Ukraine, Trump said: "That was my question to him."

"If he's going to go on... that would have caused me a big problem."

"I think he wants to end it, and they want to end it fast. Both of them," he said, adding "[Ukraine President Volodymyr] Zelensky wants to end it too." 

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High-level US delegation in Saudi Arabia's capital 

With US Secretary of State Marco Rubio set to lead a high-level American delegation at the discussions with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia's capital in the coming days, a flurry of diplomacy was taking place as the brutal Ukraine war nears its third anniversary. 

The Republican president had repeatedly insisted he would end the Ukraine conflict in a single day if he returned to the White House, but Rubio stressed it would "not be easy" to resolve such a long-running, bloody and complex conflict. 

"A process towards peace is not a one-meeting thing," America's top diplomat said in an interview with CBS channel on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. 

(With inputs from agencies)