President Donald Trump posted on his platform (Truth Social) on Thursday that he and Russian leader Vladimir Putin will meet in Budapest, Hungary, to attempt to end the “inglorious” war in Ukraine.
He made this announcement following a phone call with Putin, describing that call as “good” or “progressive.”
The meeting is pitched as part of a renewed push to negotiate peace in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
There’s no firm date yet confirmed in public reporting.
The move would represent a substantial shift in the U.S. posture: a direct summit between Trump and Putin (on neutral soil) framed as peace diplomacy.
Trump has previously met with Putin, most recently in Anchorage, Alaska, in the context of Russian-Ukrainian war talks.
Hungary, under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, has positioned itself as more sympathetic or neutral in many of its stances toward Russia and the EU. His government has advocated for peace talks in Ukraine involving fewer Western preconditions.
Some analysts view this as Trump trying to frame himself as the peacemaker in a conflict that has dragged on, which could carry high political reward (if successful) or severe backlash (if seen as naive or conciliatory to Russia).
