Sunday's talks between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could pave the way for the first call between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin in more than five years, a source familiar with the discussions said, Fox News reports.

And while the Mar-a-Lago meeting was framed as a step forward in the peace effort with Trump at the helm, the source also described how securing a direct Zelenskyy-Putin phone call would be a "diplomatic victory" for the US president.

"Trump seems to be the most successful mediator because the two of them, Putin and Zelenskyy, perceive each other emotionally, and it is a challenge,” the source told Fox News Digital on condition of anonymity.

"The one difficulty they have is that Putin has refused to talk to Zelenskyy since July 2020, when they spoke over the Wagner scandal and the failed operation to detain Russian Wagner militants," the source said. "After that, Zelenskyy repeatedly tried to talk to Putin, but he refused."

"There were windows of opportunity for a conversation in August and September 2024, but they disappeared again when Ukraine invaded the Kursk region [of Russia]," the source said.

Even before communications broke down entirely, relations between the two leaders were strained, the source said.

"Before that point in 2020, calls between Zelenskyy and Putin were never friendly, and there was always tension between them. During talks, Putin was always taciturn, and Zelenskyy tried to establish a rapport."