News|Donald TrumpZelenskyy eyes invite to Trump-Putin talks in BudapestUkrainian president said he would attend if invited, although wary of Hungarian setting.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed willingness to participate in the upcoming summit involving the United States and Russia, conditional on an invitation. The summit, proposed to take place in Budapest, raises concerns due to Hungarian…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed willingness to participate in the upcoming summit involving the United States and Russia, conditional on an invitation. The summit, proposed to take place in Budapest, raises concerns due to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's close ties with Moscow and adversarial stance towards Kyiv.
While no date has been set for the summit, it is anticipated to occur in the coming weeks. The summit aims to address ongoing conflicts following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to provide specific proposals but has indicated frustration over stalled peace efforts. Recent discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin have not yielded significant progress.
During a recent meeting, Zelenskyy acknowledged the possibility of freezing current battle lines but urged the U.S. to apply more pressure on Russia. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the current front line positions, reflecting discussions held with Trump and his team.
While no date has been set for the summit, it is anticipated to occur in the coming weeks.
Concerns have been raised about the choice of Budapest as the summit location, given Hungary's recent actions and its relations with Russia. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Putin on war crimes charges, and Hungary, which is in the process of leaving the ICC, has assured that Putin will not be detained during his visit.
European foreign policy leaders have expressed disappointment over Hungary's decision to host Putin, with remarks emphasizing that his presence in Europe should be limited to facing charges at The Hague. Discussions regarding further EU sanctions against Russia are ongoing, with new measures expected soon.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted that preliminary work on the summit is underway, while pointing out challenges due to perceived mixed signals from Ukraine, which complicate the negotiation process.
Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.
