WASHINGTON 

US President Donald Trump said Monday that it would be "great" for Russia and Ukraine to hold ceasefire talks at the Vatican.

"I think it'd be great to have it at the Vatican. Maybe it would have some extra significance," Trump told reporters at an event at the White House.

"I think it would be maybe helpful. There's tremendous bitterness, anger, and I think maybe that could help some of that anger. So having it at the Vatican would be -- in Rome -- would be a very, I think it'd be a great idea," he said.

Earlier Monday, Trump held a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Ukraine war.

Trump said he believes that Putin wants to stop the war.

"I talked to him about it. I said: 'When are we going to end this Vladimir?'...I said: 'When are we going to end this bloodshed, this bloodbath?' It's a bloodbath, and I do believe he wants to end it," he said.

Turning to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump said he is a "strong person."

"Zelenskyy, strong guy, and he's not the easiest person to deal with, but I think that he wants to stop," he added.