Russian Foreign Minister brings up Russia-US Budapest summit, says Moscow ready
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (Photo: Getty Images)
Moscow has announced its readiness for a possible Russia–US summit in Budapest. However, talks are still at the stage of preliminary contacts, according to Russian media reports.
The Russian side has once again expressed interest in holding a high-level meeting with US representatives. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Moscow is prepared for a summit in Budapest if it is based on carefully worked-out conclusions from previous talks held in Alaska.
No specific date for the potential meeting has been set. Lavrov noted that contacts between Moscow and Washington are ongoing, but details of the negotiations are not being disclosed.
Amid ongoing tensions between Russia and the West, the Kremlin continues to assert its readiness for dialogue with the US.
Western sources, however, note that Washington has not confirmed any plans for a summit in the near future.
Analysts suggest that such statements from Moscow are aimed at demonstrating foreign policy activity and attempting to bring the topic of US negotiations back onto the agenda.
A potential meeting in Budapest could serve as a platform to discuss a limited set of issues, but breakthrough decisions are not expected at this stage.
Budapest talks: What is known so far
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed confidence that the planned Russia–US summit in Budapest will eventually take place, albeit later than initially scheduled. In an interview with ATV, he noted that the meeting remains on the agenda despite the delay.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump acknowledged the possibility of meeting Vladimir Putin in Budapest, saying that there is always a chance, a very good chance.
He made this statement during Orbán’s visit to Washington, responding to journalists’ questions about the prospects of a Russia–US summit.
The White House has denied Hungarian claims of an indefinite lifting of sanctions on Russian oil and gas imports, clarifying that Budapest received only a temporary, one-year exemption from the restrictions.
Orbán also stated that, in his view, the signing of a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia would take place in Budapest, emphasizing that holding a peace summit is considered a resolved matter, although the exact date has not yet been determined.
