Trump and Putin discussed their summit in Budapest by phone

The Russian side announced the start of preparations for the meeting of presidents “without delay”

US President Donald Trump said his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday was "very productive." Trump wrote about this on Truth Social an hour and a half after he announced the start of the conversation.

“President Putin congratulated me and the United States on the Great Achievement of Peace in the Middle East, which, in his words, we have dreamed of for centuries. I truly believe that success in the Middle East will help us in our negotiations to end the Russia/Ukraine war,” Trump said.

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Trump announced an upcoming meeting with Putin in Budapest

The Russian side confirmed preparations for the summit. Assistant to the Russian President Yuri Ushakov said that work will begin “without delay” and will start with a telephone contact between the Russian Foreign Minister and the US Secretary of State.

According to the special representative of the Russian President Kirill Dmitriev, the conversation between Trump and Putin was “productive and positive, with a clear definition of further steps.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán , commenting on the upcoming summit, wrote in X: “The planned meeting of the American and Russian presidents is great news for all people on the planet who want peace. We are ready!

Trump and Zelensky will meet on Friday

On Friday, October 17, Donald Trump will receive Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the White House. Trump said they would discuss his conversation with Putin and "much more."

According to the American leader, one of the topics of conversation was trade between Russia and the United States after the end of the war in Ukraine.

“At the end of the conversation, we agreed to meet with our senior advisers next week. The first meetings will be held by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as a number of other persons whose names will be determined. The meeting place will be determined later. "President Putin and I will then meet at a mutually agreed upon location in Budapest to discuss whether we can end this inglorious war between Russia and Ukraine," Trump wrote.

According to media reports, the main focus will be on strengthening Ukrainian air defense and possible supplies of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kiev.

Previously, Trump admitted that such deliveries were possible if “the war in Ukraine fails to end,” but emphasized that he first intended to discuss this issue with Russia.

Moscow has repeatedly stated that the delivery of Tomahawk would be a dangerous escalation and could “seriously damage relations between Russia and the United States.” Some Russian officials have not ruled out the possibility that the use of such missiles could provoke a nuclear response, since Tomahawks can carry nuclear weapons.

Previously, “Verstka” wrote about how Trump said that Putin “let him down” by his reluctance to end the war. The US President said that the war in Ukraine turned out to be more difficult than he expected.

Photo: Donald Trump's speech in the Oval Office. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

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