Trump announced the planned meeting on Truth Social following what he described as a “very productive” phone call with Putin, broadcaster CNN reported.
“President Putin and I will then meet in an agreed-upon location, Budapest, Hungary, to see if we can bring this ‘inglorious’ war between Russia and Ukraine to an end,” Trump wrote.
The president confirmed he would meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday “to discuss my conversation with President Putin, and much more.”
Trump also said Secretary of State Marco Rubio would lead a delegation of senior US officials to meet with Russian representatives next week, with the location still to be determined.
“At the conclusion of the call, we agreed that there will be a meeting of our high-level advisors next week,” Trump said, adding that the talks would be led by Rubio “together with various other people, to be designated.”
Trump said he believed “great progress was made” in Thursday’s phone conversation with Putin.
He added that the Russian leader congratulated him and the United States on “the great accomplishment of peace in the Middle East,” and that such success could help achieve peace in Ukraine.
The two also discussed trade between Russia and the United States "when the war with Ukraine is over," Trump said.
Trump added that Putin thanked US First Lady Melania Trump for her advocacy on behalf of children.
The first lady announced last Friday that Russia had allowed eight Ukrainian children to reunite with their families, following her communication with Putin.
Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said that Putin supported the idea of a summit in Budapest, describing the call as “highly informative and extremely frank,” CNN reported.
Ushakov said the conversation lasted about two-and-a-half hours and was held at Russia’s request, according to CNN.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on X that he spoke by phone with Trump to prepare for the US-Russia summit in Budapest.
"Preparations for the USA-Russia peace summit are underway," Orban wrote, without providing further details.
The planned meeting comes just over two months after Trump and Putin met in Anchorage, Alaska.
US President Donald Trump (right) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) meet in Anchorage, Alaska on August 15, 2025. Photo: EPA/SERGEY BOBYLEV/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, starting the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.
Thursday is day 1,330 of Russia's war on Ukraine.
(gs)
Source: CNN, Reuters, PAP