U.S. President Donald Trump said he would hold a second meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin "within two weeks or so” aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

Trump and Putin agreed to meet in Budapest during a two-hour phone call on Thursday. Later, Trump expressed optimism that the summit could result in a ceasefire breakthrough even though an August meeting in Alaska failed to yield one.

"I think Alaska actually set a stage,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "I think we’ll be successful, save a lot of lives.”