Washington, Oct 17: US President Donald Trump has launched a renewed effort to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, announcing that he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of a broader diplomatic initiative.
Ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House on Friday, Trump confirmed a productive phone conversation with Putin via Truth Social, stating, “I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation.” He will discuss the details of this talk with Zelenskyy during their meeting. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the discussion.
Trump’s previous summit in Alaska in August concluded without an agreement, prompting a tougher stance on Russia. Fresh from efforts in the Middle East, he emphasized that his success there could aid negotiations to end the Ukraine conflict. “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 said.
Trump announced that a team of high-level advisors, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, will meet Russian officials next week at a location 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… to an end,” he added.
The US President also highlighted potential post-war trade discussions with Russia, signaling that economic considerations are part of his broader strategy. Trump noted that Putin praised the US for its peace achievements in the Middle East, describing it as a historic accomplishment.
Despite setbacks from the Alaska summit, Trump has increased intelligence sharing with Ukraine and is reportedly considering providing Kyiv with long range Tomahawk missiles capable of targeting Russian positions, while also stepping up verbal pressure on Moscow.
Peskov indicated that Russia remains open to ending the conflict and acknowledged Trump’s efforts, suggesting cautious optimism for the renewed negotiation process.