An obvious plot offers itself to the deft diplomat: could Europe, the continental home of the Nobel prizes, dangle the prospect of a shiny medal and an Oslo banquet as a sort of carrot to lure Mr Trump onto their side when it comes to Ukraine?

On Tuesday, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed the possibility of NATO-backed security guarantees as a “breakthrough,” noting that the U.S. was now working “at pace” with 30 or so other countries, which he called a “coalition of the willing,” to help Ukraine.

Nearly a week after President Trump’s Alaska summit, his suggestions of imminent breakthroughs have not come to pass.

Not even a full day after hosting European leaders who expressed solidarity with Ukraine, Trump on Tuesday reverted to his usual pro-Putin self.

Wall Street stocks fell, European equities rose and oil edged down on Tuesday as traders assessed the previous day's White House talks on the war in Ukraine, and looked ahead to a key meeting of central bankers.

Russia has yet again ignored Donald Trump’s bid to hold a summit between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky and said attempts to resolve security issues for Kyiv without Moscow’s participation was a “road to nowhere”.

However, President Trump rules out putting U.S. troops on the ground if a deal is reached with Moscow to halt the war.