Trump and Putin to Meet in Hungary

US President Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 16. Trump revealed on social media that the two sides have agreed to a face-to-face meeting in Budapest, the Hungarian capital.

Trump told reporters, “Probably within the next two weeks.” The specific time and agenda of the meeting will be determined during consultations between senior US and Russian officials next week.

Trump wrote on social media, “To determine whether this shameful war can be ended, both sides have agreed to hold talks in Budapest, Hungary.”

It is reported that US Secretary of State Rubio and others will attend high-level consultations next week to prepare for the summit. The location has not yet been determined. Foreign Minister Lavrov is expected to attend from Russia.

Russian Presidential Assistant (Foreign Affairs) Ushakov told reporters on the 16th that the talks focused on the Tomahawk cruise missiles that the United States is considering providing to Ukraine.

Putin reportedly stated that such a weapons supply would not change the course of the war, but would severely damage Russian-US relations and have an impact on achieving peace in Ukraine. In an interview broadcast on Russian state television on the 5th, Putin also warned that if the US provided Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, it would “lead to the destruction of Russian-US relations.”