U.S. President Donald J. Trump said he plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, to discuss possible steps toward ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that the high-stakes talks would take place in Budapest, though the exact date has not yet been confirmed.
The announcement followed a phone conversation between Trump and Putin that lasted more than two hours on Thursday, which the White House described as “productive.”
Trump said they discussed restoring trade between the United States and Russia once the war in Ukraine is over.
PREPARATORY MEETING PLANNED
According to Trump, both sides agreed to hold a preparatory meeting next week between senior diplomats from Washington and Moscow. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will represent the United States, while Russia’s delegation has yet to be announced.
The summit between Trump and Putin in Budapest is expected to follow soon after that diplomatic session.
Trump added that he will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday, expressing hope that a future meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy might also be possible. “Today, great progress was made,” Trump wrote. He said his success in brokering peace in the Middle East could help bring an end to the “disgraceful war between Russia and Ukraine.”
Trump added that Putin had thanked his wife, Melania Trump, for “her dedication to children.” The two leaders also reportedly discussed restoring U.S.-Russian trade ties after hostilities end.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán — who has maintained close relations with both Trump and Putin — has long said that Budapest is ready to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Orbán traveled to Moscow, Kyiv, and Beijing last year during Hungary’s rotating presidency of the European Union, moves that drew sharp criticism from Brussels. EU leaders accused him of undermining the bloc’s united front on Ukraine.
The nationalist leader has also opposed providing military aid to Ukraine, arguing that it would only prolong the conflict.
Orbán’s government has welcomed Trump’s peace efforts, and Hungarian officials say Budapest is prepared to serve as a “bridge” between East and West — a stance that may soon place the city at the center of a major geopolitical breakthrough.
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