Trump and Putin Plan High-Stakes Meeting in Budapest on Ukraine War

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest to explore a potential end to what Trump called the “inglorious” and drawn-out war in Ukraine a move that could mark a dramatic turning point in global diplomacy.

Trump, speaking from the White House, described his lengthy phone call with Putin as “productive,” signaling hope that a negotiated settlement may finally be within reach. While no firm date has been set for the summit, Trump confirmed that top American and Russian diplomats will meet next week to lay the groundwork for the historic meeting. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the U.S. delegation.

“I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We’re going to see what can be done to finally bring an end to this tragic and unnecessary war.”

Here’s where things stand:

• The Trump-Putin summit will be held in Budapest, Hungary, a symbolic neutral ground and a signal that Trump intends to reset the table on the world stage.

• Trump will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday to discuss the call with Putin and potential outcomes of the summit.

• The Trump administration has begun providing Ukraine with targeting intelligence on Russian energy infrastructure a major shift in U.S. policy and a clear message to Moscow.

• Trump hinted that if peace talks fail, he may greenlight delivery of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv:

“Do they want Tomahawks going in their direction? I don’t think so,” Trump warned.

Since their last summit in Alaska in August, Russia has stepped up its aerial bombardment of Ukraine, launching hundreds of drone and missile strikes and killing civilians in the process. The bombardment has blacked out entire cities and underscores why Trump now sees an urgent need to break the deadlock.

Despite his past criticisms of NATO’s role and Washington’s endless funding of foreign wars, Trump’s recent tone has turned pointedly critical of Putin.

“I don’t know why he continues with this war. He should have won that war in one week,” Trump said Tuesday. “It’s making him look very bad.”

Trump added that Ukraine’s resilience has surprised many, noting. “Who would think that Ukraine could have fought Russia for four years to essentially a standstill?”

This is the Trump Doctrine in motion: negotiate from a position of strength, keep every option on the table, and put America’s strategic interests first. Unlike the Biden-era foreign policy of weakness, confusion, and endless entanglement, Trump is signaling that the U.S. will lead but not be led into forever wars.

While the legacy media will no doubt spin this as risky or unconventional, the reality is simple: Trump is the only leader talking seriously about ending the war without compromising America’s security or writing Ukraine a blank check.

Stay tuned. If Trump can broker a breakthrough between two bitter enemies, it won’t just change the trajectory of the war it will reshape the global balance of power.

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