White House pushes for Zelenskyy–Putin summit in Budapest, Politico
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump (Getty Images)
According to Politico, the White House has proposed a new location for a potential meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin - Budapest.
It is said that the US Secret Service is preparing for a summit in Hungary. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the issue at a briefing, saying: "I’m not going to confirm or deny event locations."
While the Secret Service often inspects multiple sites and the final venue may still change, sources told Politico that Budapest has emerged as the White House’s top choice.
Sky News and other outlets report that the Zelenskyy–Putin meeting could take place by the end of the month, with Geneva, Vienna, Rome, Budapest, and Doha all under consideration.
Geneva (Switzerland) is seen as the most favorable option, while Moscow dislikes Rome or the Vatican, and Kyiv objects to Budapest.
As Bloomberg previously reported, US President Donald Trump called Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on August 18 after speaking with Putin by phone.
Trump urged Orbán not to block Ukraine’s accession to the EU, and Hungary signaled interest in hosting a summit between the Ukrainian and Russian leaders.
Zelenskyy–Putin meeting
On August 18, Trump held talks with Zelenskyy at the White House, after which both presidents met with European leaders.
Later, the US president called Putin to discuss the possibility of direct negotiations with Zelenskyy. While Moscow insists on a bilateral format, a trilateral summit with US participation is also on the table.
Potential summit locations mentioned include Geneva, Rome, and Hungary. Switzerland has already expressed willingness to host the talks and even grant Putin immunity from the ICC arrest warrant.
Austria has likewise said it is ready to organize a Zelenskyy–Putin meeting.
