Trump And Putin To Meet In Budapest To Seek End Of ‘Inglorious’ Ukraine War

President Donald Trump said that he held a “lengthy” and “productive” phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, adding that the leaders agreed to meet in Budapest, Hungary, to discuss bringing an end to the war in Ukraine.

Trump did not say whether a date for his second meeting with Putin had been set. Next week, senior advisers from the United States and Russia will meet for discussions led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump added. The location of that meeting has not yet been determined.

Trump said that Putin congratulated him on securing a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, adding, “I actually believe that the Success in the Middle East will help in our negotiation in attaining an end to the War with Russia/Ukraine.”

Trump is scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday as the administration considers sending Ukraine long-range missiles that could be fired deeper into Russian territory. Earlier this week, Trump told reporters that he “might tell [Russia] that if the war is not settled, that we may very well, [send Tomahawks to Kyiv].”

“We may not, but we may do it,” Trump continued, adding, “Do they want Tomahawks going in their direction? I don’t think so.”

In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump wrote that he would talk to Zelensky about the phone call with Putin “and much more.”

“I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation,” the president said.

The Trump administration is reportedly providing Ukraine with intelligence on key Russian energy infrastructure — the first time since the war began that the U.S. has helped Ukraine target sites deep inside Russian territory.

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Russia has shown no signs of ending its war against Ukraine as it continues to hammer the country following Trump’s summit with Putin in Alaska in August. In the past three weeks, Russia has pounded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, killing multiple people and — at one point — plunging Kyiv into darkness.

As Russia’s attacks continue, the president has ramped up his criticism of Putin. On Tuesday, Trump said that the war is making Putin “look very bad.”

“I don’t know why he continues with this war,” Trump said, according to The Hill. “He should have won that war in one week.”

“He just doesn’t want to end that war. And I think it’s making him look very bad,” he added. “I have to tell you, I give credit because who would think that Ukraine could have fought Russia for four years to essentially a standstill.”