WASHINGTON; US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to hold another summit to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine.
The announcement came just one day before Trump’s scheduled meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House.
Speaking after a phone conversation that lasted more than two hours, Trump described the call with Putin as “productive” and revealed that the meeting would take place in Budapest, although no specific date was provided. The Kremlin has not yet issued an official response.
The unexpected development comes as Zelenskiy travels to Washington to lobby for additional military aid, including US-made long-range Tomahawk missiles.
However, the positive tone of the US–Russia call has raised questions about whether Kyiv will receive such weapons soon.
Trump said lower-level diplomatic talks between Washington and Moscow will begin next week and added that he will brief Zelenskiy about the discussions during their Oval Office meeting.
“I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russian targets, including a strike on an oil refinery in Russia’s Saratov region. Meanwhile, Russia launched a massive overnight barrage of more than 300 drones and 37 missiles targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Zelenskiy said.
As the war enters its fourth year, Trump has reiterated his commitment to pressuring Russia, including efforts to push India and China to reduce oil imports from Moscow.
He has also signaled that the US could supply long-range weapons to Ukraine if Russia refuses to negotiate. Washington’s Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that the US will “impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression” unless a settlement is reached.
