U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that arranging a face-to-face meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin remains the most difficult element of his push to end the war in Ukraine. Speaking briefly to reporters at the White House, Trump likened bringing the two leaders together to mixing “oil and vinegar,” adding that “for obvious reasons they don’t get along too well.” Trump reiterated that Washington is continuing diplomatic efforts aimed at a Zelensky-Putin summit but conceded that progress has been slow. He said he would "prefer not to have to be there" if such a meeting takes place, signalling a desire for the parties to negotiate directly. The comments follow an interview earlier in the day in which Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told NBC that no meeting is currently scheduled and blamed Kyiv for the lack of progress. Zelensky has repeatedly said he is prepared to meet Putin, while Moscow insists an agenda must first be agreed. Trump has held separate talks with both leaders in recent weeks in a bid to narrow differences, yet the main sticking points—Ukraine’s potential NATO membership and territorial questions—remain unresolved.