Trump, Putin to Meet in Hungary as Tomahawk Tensions Stir Unease in Kyiv
U.S. President, Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hungary within the next two weeks after what he described as a “very productive” phone conversation, even as his wavering stance on Ukraine’s war fuels fresh uncertainty in Kyiv.
The Kremlin confirmed the upcoming summit, calling the discussion “extremely frank and trustful,” and said preparations for the meeting were already underway.
Trump, speaking on his Truth Social platform, said the goal of the meeting was to “see if we can bring this ‘inglorious’ war, between Russia and Ukraine, to an end.”
He added later in the Oval Office that the call had been “very productive” and that the summit would take place “within two weeks or so, pretty quick.”
The announcement came just a day before Trump was scheduled to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, following renewed debate over Kyiv’s request for American-made Tomahawk missiles.
Trump admitted that Putin “didn’t like it” when he mentioned the missiles during their call, but questioned whether the United States could afford to supply them.
“We need them too, so I don’t know what we can do about that,” he told reporters, adding that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to finalise summit details.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump’s relationship with Putin has oscillated between admiration and irritation. Their first meeting, in Alaska, produced no breakthrough despite Trump’s earlier pledge to end the war “within 24 hours.”
Zelensky, once publicly scolded by Trump in February, has since rebuilt ties with Washington, securing new rounds of support. But Trump’s shifting tone has again left Kyiv recalibrating its diplomatic footing as it faces unrelenting Russian attacks.
Arriving in Washington on Thursday, Zelensky expressed cautious optimism, suggesting that Moscow’s sudden interest in dialogue was linked to talk of new U.S. weapons.
“We can already see that Moscow is rushing to resume dialogue as soon as it hears about Tomahawks,” he said, adding that he planned to meet American defence companies about additional air defence systems.
The Kremlin said Putin warned Trump during their call that arming Ukraine with Tomahawks “would not change the situation on the battlefield” and would undermine “prospects for peaceful resolution.”
Budapest will host the planned meeting — a location seen as symbolic, given Hungary’s warm ties with both leaders and its controversial decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, which has issued an arrest warrant for Putin.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban confirmed he had spoken to Trump, saying, “Preparations for the USA-Russia peace summit are underway.”
The choice of Hungary allows Putin to travel without risk of arrest under the ICC warrant, which remains valid until Hungary’s withdrawal formally takes effect in June 2026.
Meanwhile, the war continues to batter Ukraine. Russian missile strikes have again targeted Kyiv’s energy grid, forcing nationwide rolling blackouts for the second consecutive day as temperatures approach freezing.
Zelensky, facing another cold winter and wavering Western resolve, said he hoped the momentum of Trump’s recent Middle East peace deal could help “end the war in Ukraine.”
