The irony of history: Trump and Putin will meet where Ukraine was once guaranteed security
17 October 00:11
US President Donald Trump is planning a personal meeting with Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin in Budapest to discuss the possibility of ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. The American leader announced this on Truth Social after a telephone conversation with the Kremlin dictator, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
What Trump said
Trump called the conversation with Putin “productive” and said that the parties had agreed to hold a series of talks at the level of high-level advisers.
“At the end of the conversation, we agreed that next week we will have a meeting of our high-level advisors. The first meetings on the part of the United States will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with others who will be appointed later. The location of the meeting has not yet been determined,” Trump said.
He added that he would meet with Putin in Budapest to discuss the possibility of ending the “inglorious” war between Russia and Ukraine.
According to the US president, Putin congratulated him on achieving peace in the Middle East.
“I do believe that success in the Middle East will help us in negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump said.
He also said that he had discussed with Putin the future of US-Russian trade after the war, and tomorrow he plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington.
Zelensky reacted
Russia is in a hurry to resume dialogue as soon as it hears about the US missiles, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, commenting on the phone conversation between the US and Russian leaders.
“We can already see that Moscow is in a hurry to resume a dialogue as soon as it hears about the tomahawks,” Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel upon arrival in Washington.
He emphasized that “Putin is definitely no bolder than Hamas or any other terrorist.” Zelenskyy expressed confidence that the language of strength and justice would definitely work with Russia.
“A meeting with President Trump is scheduled for tomorrow, and we hope that the momentum of curbing terror and war that has worked in the Middle East will help end Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Zelensky said.
He also said that today he has a meeting with representatives of defense companies to discuss additional supplies of air defense systems.
Zelenskyy also has a meeting with representatives of American energy companies to discuss strengthening Ukraine’s resilience in the face of Russian terror against the energy sector.
What Orban says
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has already confirmed his readiness to receive the leaders in his capital.
“The planned meeting between the presidents of America and Russia is great news for the peace-loving peoples of the world. We are ready,” Orban wrote on social network X.
The planned meeting between the American and Russian presidents is great news for the peace-loving people of the world. We are ready!
– Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) October 16, 2025
Why Budapest?
Budapest is a symbolic place for international politics. It was here that the Budapest Memorandum was signed in 1994, guaranteeing Ukraine security in exchange for giving up nuclear weapons.
If the new summit takes place there, it could be an attempt at a “new Budapest format” designed to find a formula for peace between Kyiv and Moscow-but on US terms.
What it could mean for Ukraine
Analysts believe that the meeting between Trump and Putin may have two goals:
- Testing the Kremlin’s readiness for real negotiations.
- Shaping the US position before the election to show that Trump is able to “stop the war.”
However, any agreements without Ukraine’s participation may be politically and legally null and void, as Kyiv is the party defending its territory from the aggressor.
