US President Donald Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to another summit on Thursday to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, a day before the US president spoke with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump said he and Putin would meet soon in Budapest after a more than two-hour phone conversation that Trump called productive. The Kremlin confirmed plans for such a meeting. A date was not specified.
The surprise development came as Zelensky headed to the White House on Friday to push for more military support, including possible long-range offensive missiles.
However, Trump’s conciliatory tone after the call to Russia appeared to cast doubt on the possibility of such support in the short term and increased European fears of American capitulation to Moscow.
PUTIN WARNS TRUMP ABOUT THE SUPPLY OF MISSILES
During the call, Putin told Trump that supplying such missiles to Ukraine would harm the peace process and harm ties between the United States and Russia, Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters.
Ukraine’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The meeting place has attracted attention. Putin is wanted for alleged war crimes in some jurisdictions, which has restricted his travel.
Ukraine’s relationship with Hungary has become increasingly strained. Zelensky accused Hungarian drones of crossing into Ukraine last month, prompting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to retort that Ukraine was not a sovereign, independent state.
Unlike most NATO and European Union leaders, Orban has maintained cordial relations with Russia although he has questioned the logic of Western military aid to kyiv, a stance that has frequently put him at odds with Zelensky.
“The planned meeting between the American and Russian presidents is great news for the peace-loving people of the world,” Orban declared in X. “We are ready!”
The meeting between Trump and Putin will follow low-level talks between Moscow and Washington next week, which will include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a location to be determined, according to Trump. The Kremlin indicated that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will participate.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he would brief Zelensky about talks with Russia in the Oval Office on Friday.
“I think that with today’s telephone conversation, great progress has been made,” he added.
UKRAINE WANTS TO EXPAND ITS ATTACK SCOPE
kyiv and Moscow have been escalating their war with massive attacks on energy infrastructure as NATO struggles to respond to a series of Russian air raids.
Ukraine has been seeking long-range American Tomahawk missiles, which would put Moscow and other major Russian cities within range of missile fire from Ukraine.
Trump, a Republican who has promised to end the war that Russia started with its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, had expressed growing frustration with Putin over the continued attacks before Thursday.
Trump has said he could supply long-range weapons to Ukraine if Putin does not come to the negotiating table.
With information from Reuters.
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