Trump and Putin Plan Budapest Summit Following 'Productive' Phone Call

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to hold a summit in Budapest to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This decision follows a phone call between the two leaders, described by both parties as 'productive.'

Trump announced that high-level advisors from both nations will meet next week to prepare for the summit. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the American delegation, though the exact location for these preparatory talks has not been specified. The Kremlin confirmed that work on the summit would begin 'immediately' after the 'extremely frank and trustful' call.

The phone conversation occurred a day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's scheduled visit to the White House. Discussions between Trump and Zelensky are expected to focus on potential U.S. military support for Ukraine, including the provision of Tomahawk long-range missiles. Trump indicated that he mentioned the possibility of supplying these missiles to Ukraine during his call with Putin, noting that the Russian president 'didn't like the idea.'

The planned Budapest meeting marks the second summit between Trump and Putin this year, following an earlier meeting in Alaska in August that did not yield substantial progress toward peace. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban welcomed the upcoming summit, stating it was 'great news for the peace-loving people of the world.'

The conflict in Ukraine continues to escalate, with recent Russian attacks targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Zelensky reported that over 3,100 drones, 92 missiles, and 1,360 glide bombs were used by Russia in the past week, aiming to disrupt Ukraine's power grid ahead of winter.

As the situation develops, the international community watches closely, hoping that the upcoming summit may lead to meaningful steps toward resolving the conflict.