The Kremlin announced on Friday that the long-anticipated summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump could be held within the next two weeks, or slightly later, depending on the progress of preparatory talks.
According to Reuters, Trump and Putin agreed on Thursday to hold a second summit on the war in Ukraine, this time in Budapest, after their previous meeting on August 15 in Alaska failed to produce tangible results.
The announcement came just ahead of Trump’s scheduled meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as Washington considers sending Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kyiv — a potential move that could reshape the dynamics of the conflict.
Developed during the Cold War in the 1970s, the Tomahawk missile was designed for long-range precision strikes while flying at low altitudes to evade radar detection.
Kremlin: Preparations Are Underway
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio would coordinate the details of the summit and clarify “many issues” before confirming the date.
“There are many questions — negotiating teams must be determined, and everything will proceed in stages. But of course, the presidents’ will is there,” said Peskov.
He added that the summit “could indeed take place within two weeks or somewhat later”, emphasizing that “nothing should be delayed.”
Peskov reiterated that Russia remains open to a peaceful solution to end the war in Ukraine, but again blamed Kyiv and its European allies for the stalemate in peace talks.
Ukraine, in contrast, accuses Moscow of making unacceptable demands and claims that Putin is not genuinely committed to pursuing peace.
The Kremlin also revealed that Putin spoke by phone with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Friday regarding the upcoming summit. Orbán confirmed that Hungary is ready to host the event in Budapest.
