President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will meet again with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an effort to bring the war in Ukraine to a conclusion. While the date has yet to be determined, Trump confirmed on social media that the meeting will take place in Budapest, Hungary.
“I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation,” Trump wrote following his discussion with Putin. The two leaders previously met in Alaska in August, a meeting that did not produce a diplomatic breakthrough, but Trump emphasized that dialogue remains essential to achieving peace.
Ahead of the planned summit, U.S. officials led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio are scheduled to meet with Russian representatives next week.
Details on the location of those discussions have not been finalized, but the meetings are expected to lay the groundwork for Trump’s direct engagement with Putin.
The president’s announcement comes just before a scheduled meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday.
Zelenskyy has been advocating for the sale of Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, which would allow Ukrainian forces to strike deeper into Russian-held territory.
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