WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he will meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Thursday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

"It's tomorrow," Trump told a reporter when asked for clarification about the date of his meeting with Zelenskyy.

Earlier, addressing the WEF, Trump said he would meet Zelenskyy later Wednesday.

"I'm dealing with (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin, and he wants to make a deal.

"I believe I'm dealing with President Zelenskyy, and I think he wants to make a deal. I'm meeting him today. He might be in the audience right now," said Trump.

Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform said Zelenskyy is in Kyiv.

"The president is in Kyiv now," communications adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said when asked if Zelenskyy plans to meet Trump on Wednesday.

'We're reasonably close' to deal

Trump said there is a "bloodbath" in Ukraine and "that's what I want to stop."

"It's a horrible war ... They'll exceed World War II. The numbers are staggering. How many people they've lost? ... Ukraine and Russia lost just tremendous amounts," he said.

Trump said there is "tremendous hatred" between Putin and Zelenskyy.

"With that being said, I think Russia wants to make a deal. I think Ukraine wants to make a deal, and we're going to try getting a deal done ... I think I can say that we're reasonably close," he added.

Trump said he believes "they're at a point now where they can come together and get a deal done, and if they don't, they're stupid."