U.S. preparing Zelensky-Putin meeting in Budapest – Politico

The White House wants to organize a meeting between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, on the territory of Hungary.

This was reported by the American newspaper Politico, citing sources in the White House.

The publication notes that U.S. President Donald Trump has good relations with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Although the Secret Service often considers several options and the final location may change, Budapest “is becoming a priority choice,” the article says.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt neither confirmed nor denied this information.

Politico believes that Hungary “would be an uncomfortable choice for Ukraine, since it refers back to the 1994 Budapest Memorandum,” which showed its “futility” after the start of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

At the same time, the publication notes that Kremlin officials are already “starting to slow down any meetings between Zelensky and Putin.” It recalled a statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who made it clear that such a meeting will not happen quickly.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump insists that preparations for a Zelensky–Putin meeting are underway.