The planned summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest appears likely to be postponed due to a standstill in preparatory diplomatic talks. While CNN reported that talks between US Secretary of State Marc Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have been delayed, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister claimed that no such meeting was ever scheduled, stating: “You cannot postpone something that has not been agreed upon.”
Diplomatic Communications and Trump’s Warning
Despite the confusion over a preparatory meeting, the US State Department confirmed that Rubio and Lavrov spoke by phone today. Russia described the call as “constructive.” The State Department noted that Rubio “stressed the importance of upcoming engagements as an opportunity for Moscow and Washington to cooperate on advancing a durable solution to the war between Russia and Ukraine, consistent with President Trump’s vision.”
President Trump also commented on the peace efforts during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, stating that an agreement to end the war is being worked on. He issued a warning: “If we succeed, it will be fantastic. If not, many people will pay a very high price.”
European Skepticism and Zelenskyy’s Stance
The possibility of a Trump-Putin summit, which originated from a phone call on October 17, is being met with skepticism from Ukrainian and European leaders.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and high-ranking EU officials issued a joint statement underscoring their concerns: “Russia’s stalling tactics have shown time and again that Ukraine is the only side that is serious about peace.” The statement, signed by Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and the leaders of the UK, Italy, and the European Commission, claimed: “We can all see that Putin continues to choose violence and destruction.”
Despite this, Zelenskyy confirmed he is “ready” to attend peace talks in the Hungarian capital. The choice of Budapest as a location has been criticized due to an outstanding International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Putin. Meanwhile, Hungarian officials stated that their Foreign Minister will travel to Washington for related discussions.
