As hopes for a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have recently faded amid rising tensions between the two countries over the war in Ukraine, Trump has not ruled out the possibility of such an encounter.
While welcoming Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán upon his arrival at the White House, a reporter asked Trump whether he might meet Putin in Budapest at some point. Trump replied, “There’s always a chance and hope.”
He later added that he “still prefers Budapest as a possible venue for a meeting with the Russian president,” despite both Washington and the Kremlin denying that any talks for an imminent meeting were underway.
Speaking to reporters during his meeting with Orbán—who maintains friendly relations with Putin—Trump said, “If we are going to meet, I’d like it to be in Budapest.” However, he did not explain why he chose the Hungarian capital.
Trump also asked his Hungarian guest whether he believed Ukraine could win the war, to which Orbán replied, “Miracles can happen!”
The U.S. president once again blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for the outbreak of the war between Kyiv and Moscow, saying, “Biden pushed toward that war. But look at what has happened to Ukraine—it’s a much smaller country than Russia, and so many people have been killed. Moscow hasn’t benefited much from this conflict either.”
It is worth noting that Trump first proposed holding talks with Putin in mid-October, suggesting a summit in Budapest within two weeks.
However, subsequent U.S. contacts with Moscow showed that the Kremlin remained firm on its demands regarding Ukraine, prompting Trump to postpone the talks indefinitely.
Russia had insisted that Kyiv relinquish certain territories in eastern Ukraine, particularly Donbas—a demand Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky firmly rejected, repeatedly affirming that his country would not give up a single inch of its land.