Trump and Putin to meet in Budapest after high-level talks

US President Donald Trump has revealed plans for a personal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Hungary, as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The announcement follows what Trump described as a "very productive" phone conversation between the two leaders, marking a significant escalation in direct engagement to address the nearly four-year-old war.

Preparatory Delegation Meetings

According to Trump, both leaders have agreed to dispatch high-level delegations for preliminary discussions next week before their anticipated face-to-face meeting. The American team will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who simultaneously serves as the president's national security advisor. While the specific venue for next week's diplomatic talks remains undetermined, Trump confirmed that the subsequent presidential summit would take place in the Hungarian capital.

Coordinated Diplomatic Outreach

"President Putin and I will then meet in an agreed upon location, Budapest, Hungary, to see if we can bring this 'inglorious' war, between Russia and Ukraine, to an end," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. The US president also noted his scheduled Friday meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, where they will discuss Trump's conversation with Putin and other matters. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt simultaneously confirmed the "very good and productive" call between the leaders.

Energy Diplomacy Context

The diplomatic developments occur alongside Trump's efforts to restrict international purchases of Russian oil, a key revenue source for Moscow's war effort. While Trump claimed Wednesday that India had acceded to his demand to halt Russian crude purchases, Indian officials offered a more nuanced response. Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal stated that India's import policies "are guided entirely" by the objective to "safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario," while acknowledging ongoing energy cooperation discussions with the US administration.