Trump plans Budapest meeting with Putin on Ukraine war

President Trump announced plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest to discuss concluding the war in Ukraine. This meeting follows a phone call where Trump described the discussion as productive.Trump’s upcoming meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House is set to occur a day later, highlighting the significance of these diplomatic talks.

During the call, both leaders agreed to have their high-level advisers meet, led by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, followed by Trump and Putin’s meeting. The dialogue reportedly impacts Trump’s previous inclination to send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.

Putin cautioned that supplying arms to Ukraine would jeopardize U.S.-Russia relations. Discussions will also cover U.S. restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons against Russia.

Despite suggestions of imposing sanctions on Russia, Trump did not reveal any plans regarding this in his call summary. The conversation reportedly focused significantly on post-war trade relations.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt highlighted Trump’s belief in achieving peace through negotiation.

Military Strategy

Putin maintained that Russian forces are strategically positioned along the conflict lines, asserting that Russia’s military actions respond to Ukrainian strikes. He acknowledged Trump’s efforts to mediate various international conflicts, including halting violence in Gaza. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a Trump ally, confirmed discussions about preparations for the upcoming meeting.

Putin expressed gratitude to First Lady Melania Trump for her humanitarian efforts regarding Ukrainian children, noting plans for ongoing initiatives.