US President Donald Trump on Thursday started a reboot of the attempts to end the “inglorious” Russia-Ukraine war and announced that he will meet with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.
Ahead of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky meeting at the White House on Friday, Trump talked with Putin and said on Truth Social, “I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation.”
He said he will discuss with Zelensky his talk with Putin.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the talk.
Trump’s highly publicised summit in Alaska in August ended without an agreement, and he began taking a hard line on Russia.
Fresh off the success in stopping the Gaza conflict, Trump has turned his attention back to the Ukraine War.
“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,” he asserted.
He said that a team of high-level advisors led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet next week with Russian officials at a place to be determined.
“President Putin and I will then meet in an agreed-upon location, Budapest, Hungary, to see if we can bring this ‘inglorious’ War, between Russia and Ukraine, to an end,” he wrote.
Hungary’s President Viktor Orban is ideologically close to Trump, while conciliatory towards Putin compared to other European Union members.
Trump, who had claimed during his election campaign last year that he would end the Ukraine War in 24 hours of assuming office, repeatedly said that he found this the most difficult endeavour.
Trump, who wields trade as a cudgel and a carrot, looked beyond a peace deal and said, “We also spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over.”
Ever looking for affirmation for his diplomacy, Trump said, “President Putin congratulated me and the United States on the Great Accomplishment of Peace in the Middle East, something that, he said, has been dreamed of for centuries.”
Souring on Putin after the failed Alaska outreach, Trump has reportedly increased intelligence cooperation with Ukraine and was said to be considering arming Kyiv with Tomahawk missiles that could put Moscow within Ukraine’s range.
He also increased verbal attacks on Putin and Russia.
On Wednesday, Peskov said that Russia was open to ending the war and appreciated Trump’s efforts.
