U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest to negotiate an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Although Trump did not specify a date, he stated that the meeting would take place at a “mutually agreed location” in the Hungarian capital, BBC’s Russian Service reported on October 16.
During a press briefing, a White House spokesperson confirmed that Trump remains committed to facilitating a personal meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and is eager to advance the peace process.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán publicly welcomed the initiative, confirming Budapest’s readiness to host the high-stakes talks.
“The planned meeting between the U.S. and Russian presidents is great news for all peace-loving people. We’re ready!” Orbán posted on social media platform X.
Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov also confirmed that President Putin supports Trump’s proposal to meet in Hungary. According to Deutsche Welle, Ushakov noted that the phone conversation between Trump and Putin occurred at the Kremlin’s initiative.
During the call, Putin reportedly emphasized that Russia currently holds “strategic initiative” on the battlefield and warned that U.S. deliveries of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would not shift the military balance but would seriously damage U.S.–Russia relations.
The conversation took place one day before Trump's scheduled meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky in Washington. Zelensky arrived in the U.S. on the evening of October 16. Their talks are expected to focus on potential U.S. arms deliveries, including the controversial Tomahawk missiles.
The upcoming White House meeting will mark the third between Trump and Zelensky this year. Their first encounter, in February, ended in a widely publicized dispute. The second, held in August alongside European leaders, focused on post-war security guarantees for Ukraine.
