Washington: President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Hungary, within the next two weeks just a day before he is scheduled to welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House. The back-to-back engagements mark Trump’s most ambitious diplomatic push yet to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, now entering its fourth year.
The announcement came shortly after Trump’s telephone conversation with Putin, which the U.S. president described as “productive.” While no firm date has been set for the Budapest meeting, Trump suggested that both sides are eager to explore new terms for peace.
“I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
According to Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, the Russian leader initiated the call and emphasized that any U.S. move to supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles would cause “significant damage” to bilateral relations. Ushakov described the discussion as “very frank and trusting,” signaling that both leaders were willing to engage in direct and open dialogue.
Trump and Putin last met in Alaska in August, but that session ended without concrete results a disappointment for Trump, who had hoped his personal rapport with Putin could pave the way for a breakthrough.
While Trump plans his Budapest summit, he is first turning his attention to Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian leader is expected at the White House on Friday for his fourth in-person meeting with Trump this year. Zelenskyy’s top priority remains securing advanced U.S. weaponry, including Tomahawk cruise missiles and additional air defense systems, to counter Russia’s relentless aerial assaults.
Zelenskyy has argued that such long-range strikes would force Moscow to take peace efforts seriously.
“We need the ability to respond decisively,” he said earlier this week in Kyiv.
Trump, however, appeared cautious, noting that while the U.S. has “a lot of Tomahawks,” he must consider national stockpile priorities.
“We have a lot of them, but we need them,” Trump said. “We can’t deplete for our country.”
Trump’s renewed focus on Ukraine follows his ceasefire success in Gaza, which he brokered between Israel and Hamas earlier this week. The agreement reached after an intense diplomatic tour through Israel and Egypt boosted Trump’s image as a dealmaker capable of ending entrenched conflicts.
During a speech to the Israeli Knesset, Trump suggested that the truce could be the foundation for broader Middle East normalization. But he quickly shifted his focus to Europe’s largest war, telling aides:
“First, we have to get Russia done,” Trump said to his envoy Steve Witkoff. “Let’s focus on Russia first, all right?”
Ending both the Ukraine and Gaza wars was a centerpiece of Trump’s campaign promise, where he sharply criticized former President Joe Biden’s foreign policy as weak and directionless.
Experts say any U.S. decision to transfer Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would be both a military and political statement. The missile’s 995-mile (1,600 km) range would allow Kyiv to strike deep within Russian territory far beyond the reach of Ukraine’s current arsenal.
Defense analyst Mark Montgomery of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said shorter-range systems like ERAM and ATACMS could provide more immediate benefits.
“Providing Tomahawks is as much a political decision as a military one,” he said. “ERAMs and ATACMS can help Ukraine disrupt Russian command and logistics without escalating the conflict.”
The U.S. has already approved the sale of up to 3,350 ERAM missiles to Ukraine earlier this year.
As Trump juggles military options, Congress is preparing to introduce new sanctions targeting Russia’s energy exports, including oil, gas, and uranium. The bipartisan bill sponsored by Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal seeks to impose steep tariffs on nations continuing to buy Russian commodities.
While Trump has not officially endorsed the measure, administration sources say the White House is increasingly receptive. Behind the scenes, Trump aides have been revising the legislation to ensure it aligns with the president’s broader diplomatic strategy.
“Any sanctions package must give the president complete flexibility,” a senior White House official said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune confirmed that lawmakers will consider the revised bill “within the next 30 days.”
The flurry of diplomatic activity underscores Trump’s delicate balancing act: maintaining dialogue with Putin while bolstering Ukraine’s defense and signaling strength to U.S. allies.
Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, cautioned that optimism should be tempered.
“There would need to be significant pressure on Russia to change its course,” she said. “Unfortunately, this war is unlikely to end anytime soon.”
As Trump prepares for his meeting with Zelenskyy on Friday and plans his summit with Putin in Hungary, the world watches to see whether his dual-track diplomacy part pressure, part persuasion can achieve what has eluded global leaders for years: a lasting peace in Ukraine.