WASHINGTON 

US President Donald Trump said “some progress has been made” in efforts to end the war in Ukraine following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.

Speaking during a bill signing ceremony at the White House, Trump said: "We just spent two and a half hours talking to Vladimir Putin. And I think some progress has been made."

"It’s a terrible situation going on over there, 5,000 young people every single week are being killed," he added. "So, hopefully we did something."

The president added that he had also spoken to leaders of several European countries as part of efforts to bring the more than three-year-old war to an end.

“We also spoke to the heads of most of the European nations, and we’re trying to get that whole thing wrapped up,” he said. “What a shame that it ever started in the first place.”

Earlier, Trump said his call with Putin "went very well" and that Russia and Ukraine will "immediately" start negotiations to reach a ceasefire and end the conflict.

Putin, meanwhile, described the talk "frank and substantive," adding that a truce with Ukraine is possible once relevant agreements are reached.