Donald Trump has suggested he is prepared to meet with Vladimir Putin next week but the Ukrainian prime minister has demanded he meet with the US president first.

The president said he will “probably be talking” with Volodymyr Zelensky and will also “probably be talking” to Putin, as he pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine.

Asked if his conversation with the Russian leader would be a telephone call or in person, Mr Trump said: “It could be,” raising the prospect of face-to-face talks.

He added that the location of his meeting with Mr Zelensky “could be Washington”.

“I’m not going there,” he added.

‘Good relationship’ with Putin

Speaking at a White House press conference, the president reiterated his call for Ukraine to supply the US with strategically valuable rare earth metals to “equalise” the “$300 billion-plus” in support that the US has provided Kyiv.

He also repeated claims he has a “good relationship” with the Russian dictator. “President Putin and I have always had a good relationship,” he said. “That’s why it’s so sad that it happened.”

His comments may raise eyebrows in Kyiv, after Mr Zelensky stressed that it is essential that he meet Mr Trump in person before the US president meets with Putin.

“Otherwise it will look like a dialogue about Ukraine without Ukraine,” he told Reuters.