U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The announcement followed a phone call between the two leaders, during which they also agreed to hold high-level preparatory talks between American and Russian officials next week. Trump said the initial meetings will be led by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, though Moscow’s representatives have not yet been confirmed.
“President Putin and I will then meet in Budapest, Hungary, to see if we can bring this ‘inglorious’ war between Russia and Ukraine to an end,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
During the conversation, both leaders reportedly discussed humanitarian efforts, including U.S. First Lady Melania Trump’s initiatives to assist in returning Ukrainian children home. Trump said the two also spoke about future trade relations between Washington and Moscow once hostilities cease.
He added that ongoing dialogue in the Middle East could influence broader negotiations to end the war. “I hope the talks will bring this tragic war to an end,” Trump said, emphasizing his optimism about peace prospects.
The call came a day before Trump’s scheduled meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington on October 17. The two are expected to discuss the potential delivery of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine and review battlefield conditions.
“President Zelensky and I will be meeting tomorrow in the Oval Office, where we will discuss my conversation with President Putin and much more,” Trump confirmed, adding that “great progress was made” in talks with the Kremlin leader.
This marks the first direct communication between Trump and Putin in nearly two months. Their last contact occurred shortly after the Alaska Summit in August, where both discussed a potential peace framework. Despite those talks, Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure have intensified since.
Bloomberg previously reported that the Alaska meeting may have emboldened Moscow, as Putin allegedly believed Washington’s response would be limited. Diplomatic engagement has since stalled, with relations between the U.S. and Russia remaining tense.
Putin’s upcoming visit to Budapest is notable, as Hungary withdrew from the International Criminal Court earlier this year, freeing the Russian leader from risk of arrest despite an active ICC warrant.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban welcomed Trump’s announcement, calling it “great news for the peace-loving people of the world” and expressing Hungary’s readiness to host the meeting.
Trump’s outreach comes as Washington debates whether to provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles capable of striking inside Russian territory — a move Putin has warned would mark “a new stage of escalation.”
As preparations begin for the Budapest summit, hopes rise that the long-awaited dialogue might rekindle diplomatic momentum toward ending one of Europe’s deadliest conflicts in decades.