Trump announced the summit after a more than two-hour phone conversation with Putin about Russia's war in Ukraine on Thursday, which he said was productive.

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It was unclear what Putin had told Trump that prompted him to agree to the meeting, as their August summit in Alaska ended early with no major breakthrough.

"My whole life, I've made deals," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I think we're going to have this one done, hopefully soon."

The Kremlin said much needed to be decided and that the summit might take place "a little later" than within the two-week period mentioned by Trump.

Friday's meeting with Zelenskiy was scheduled to be a relatively low-key lunch in a cabinet meeting room as opposed to a public gathering in the Oval Office.

Trump's conciliatory tone after the call with Putin raised questions over the near-term likelihood of assistance to Ukraine and reignited European fears of a deal that suits Moscow. A spokesperson for the European Union said it welcomed the talks if they could help bring peace to Ukraine.