Zelensky Open to Three-Way Talks with Trump, Putin in Budapest
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated Monday he is prepared to participate in a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, should he receive an invitation. The potential summit, aimed at de-escalating the war in Ukraine, would mark a second meeting between Trump and Putin.
“If I am invited to Budapest, if it is an invitation in the form of a three-way meeting, or as they call it, traveling diplomacy, where President trump meets Putin and President Trump meets me, then in one form or another we will agree,” Zelensky declared at a press conference. He did, however, express reservations, noting Budapest is not “the best place for this meeting.”
Zelensky’s comments followed a Friday visit to Washington, D.C., where he sought, unsuccessfully, to persuade Trump to approve the delivery of American Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. Zelensky attributed Trump’s reluctance to a desire to avoid escalation before meeting with Putin. “From my personal perspective, he does not want an escalation with the Russians before having met them” in Budapest, Zelensky assessed.
Despite openness to talks, Zelensky reiterated ukraine’s firm stance against Russian demands for peace, which include the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donbass region. “We are not going to give victory to the Russians,” he insisted, confirming that “Ukraine’s position had not changed.”
Zelensky also highlighted Ukraine’s ongoing need for advanced weaponry, specifically requesting 25 additional American Patriot anti-aircraft systems to counter Russian missile strikes. He stated he had begun discussions with defense companies to “prepare a contract for 25 Patriot systems,” suggesting funding should “come from the use of frozen Russian assets.” The U.S.is currently only providing ukraine with weapons funded by European nations.
