U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Hungary, to negotiate an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. The announcement, made on October 16 on Truth Social, followed a “very productive” two-hour phone call between the leaders, Trump said. A Budapest meeting would mark the two leaders’ second summit this year, after an inconclusive Alaska meeting in August.
High-level U.S. and Russian advisers, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, will meet next week to prepare for the leaders’ talks. The summit aims to broker peace, with Trump citing potential U.S.-Russia trade benefits and First Lady Melania Trump’s work reuniting displaced Ukrainian children as positive factors. The news comes ahead of Trump’s Friday meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss missile support and peace efforts.
Hungary’s focus on peace negotiations and diplomacy under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán likely influenced the choice of venue. The announcement drew strong support from Orbán, who stated, “This is good news for those who want peace. Budapest is ready.”
The planned meeting between the American and Russian presidents is great news for the peace-loving people of the world. We are ready!
Sergey Radchenko, historian and professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, called the choice of location “interesting,’ saying,
Budapest—with its decidedly ‘neutral’ position in the war—is like the new Helsinki. Zelensky and the Europeans won’t be thrilled but PM Viktor Orbán stands tall and proud.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó reiterated the Hungarian government’s stance, which has remained the same since the beginning of the war, saying, “The road to peace leads through negotiations. War cannot be solved on the battlefield.”
Fantastic news that @realDonaldTrump and Vladimir Putin have spoken again, and even more fantastic that they will soon meet in Budapest.
At the time of writing, other European leaders had not yet made any official statements in reaction to the news. No date for the summit has been confirmed, but it signals renewed diplomatic momentum.
Christina Holmgren-Larson is a senior editor at europeanconservative.com.
