Trump And Putin Set To Meet For Second Time In Hungary To Discuss Ukraine Peace Deal

Washington: US President Donald Trump has announced a second meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, set to take place in Hungary's Budapest, in a bid to end the ongoing war in Ukraine. Trump made the announcement after holding a two-hour-long phone call with Putin on Thursday, which he deemed a productive phone conversation between the two leaders. 

Although no specific date has been set, Trump expressed optimism about the progress made during their call, stating that he believes major strides were taken towards resolving the conflict.

Trump and Putin previously met in Alaska in August, but their discussion did not yield a diplomatic breakthrough, leaving Trump frustrated. Despite this, the US President remains hopeful that his longstanding relationship with Putin can pave the way for a resolution to the conflict, which began nearly four years ago. The Russian President's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, revealed that Putin initiated the call, describing it as “very frank and trusting”.

Following the phone call, Trump announced that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio would meet with high-level Russian advisers next week to further discuss resolving the war. The conversation between Trump and Putin comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepares to meet with Trump at the White House. Zelenskyy is expected to push for additional long-range weapons, including Tomahawk missiles, capable of striking targets deep within Russian territory. 

The US move is to restart negotiations that stalled after the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska failed to produce a peace agreement. Zelenskyy has expressed hope that momentum from recent Middle East peace efforts could help end the war in Ukraine. "The language of strength and justice is sure to work with respect to Russia as well," he said.

The upcoming meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy will likely focus on the details of the discussion with Putin and explore possibilities for peace. Trump has reiterated his commitment to ending the war, saying, "First, we have to get Russia done." 

Ukraine's Plea For Support, Tomahawk Missile

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is set to meet with Trump at the White House, where he is expected to press for more military support, including long-range offensive missiles. Zelenskyy believes that such strikes would enable Ukrainian forces to strike deeper into Russian territory, compelling Putin to take Trump's calls for direct negotiations more seriously. 

Trump has expressed consideration for selling long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, but Putin has warned that this would drastically damage relations between Moscow and Washington. Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One, Trump mentioned that he might discuss the decision with Putin before making a move, describing it as a big development in the war.

"I might have to speak to Russia, to be honest with you, about Tomahawks. Do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I don't think so…..I think I might speak to Russia about that, in all fairness. I told that to President Zelenskyy, because Tomahawks are a new step of aggression," Trump said.

The Tomahawk missile, with a range of around 995 miles, would allow Ukraine to strike far deeper into Russian territory than other missiles. However, analyst Mark Montgomery suggested that Ukraine might be better served with shorter-range missiles like the Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM) and Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS). The US has already approved the sale of up to 3350 ERAMs to Kyiv earlier this year.

New Russia Sanctions on the Horizon

In a related development, the White House has shown interest in new Russia sanctions, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressing optimism about the bill's prospects. The legislation would impose steep tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil, gas, uranium, and other exports, to cripple Moscow economically. Although Trump hasn't formally endorsed the bill, administration officials have been working on it, offering line edits and technical changes.

Experts like Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, cautioned that massive pressure on Russia will be necessary to deter Putin from continuing the war. "We should be prepared that this war is not going to come to an end anytime soon, unfortunately," she said.