US President Donald Trump has announced plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hungary, aiming to address the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. However, a specific date for this meeting has not been set yet. This development comes after Trump engaged in a phone call with Putin on Thursday, during which he discussed Ukraine’s request for long-range missiles.
The conversation between Trump and Putin took place ahead of Trump’s scheduled meeting on Friday at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy has been urging the US president to authorize the sale of Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, which would enable Ukrainian forces to conduct strikes deeper into Russian territory. The Ukrainian leader argues that such actions could compel Putin to take Trump’s calls for direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine more seriously.
During a trip to Israel on Sunday, Trump mentioned to reporters that he had intended to discuss the possibility of providing Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine as a means of pressuring Putin to end the full-scale invasion of the country. “Do they want to have Tomahawks going in that direction? I don’t think so,” Trump remarked. “I think I might speak to Russia about that.”
With a fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas holding in Gaza, Trump has shifted his focus towards ending the war in Ukraine. He is currently considering the provision of long-range weaponry to Kyiv as a way to encourage Moscow to return to the negotiating table. Addressing the conflicts in both Ukraine and Gaza has been a central part of Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign, where he has consistently criticized President Joe Biden for his management of these issues.
- Despite his efforts, Trump has faced challenges in persuading Putin to engage in direct talks with Zelenskyy, a key step toward ending the war that is now in its fourth year.
- However, following the recent ceasefire in Gaza, Trump has expressed renewed confidence that he can make progress in resolving the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- He has also indicated that he is prepared to increase pressure on Putin if the latter does not agree to meet soon.
“Interestingly we made progress today, because of what’s happened in the Middle East,” Trump said on Wednesday evening while addressing supporters of his White House ballroom project at a dinner.
At a speech delivered to Israel’s Knesset in Jerusalem earlier this week, Trump predicted that the ceasefire in Gaza would serve as a foundation for the United States to assist Israel and several of its Middle Eastern neighbors in normalizing relations. However, he emphasized that his primary foreign policy objective is to bring an end to the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.
“First we have to get Russia done,” Trump stated, turning to his special envoy Steve Witkoff, who has also acted as the administration’s main contact with Putin. “We gotta get that one done. If you don’t mind, Steve, let’s focus on Russia first. All right?”
