Washington/Moscow — U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a detailed telephone conversation centered on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the Kremlin confirmed on Friday.
According to Kremlin officials, President Putin reiterated that Russia remains open to a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, while also laying out Moscow’s position on the potential U.S. supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kyiv. Though the Kremlin acknowledged the discussion, it maintained that the specific details of the call would not be disclosed publicly.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the two leaders agreed to hold a second summit on the Ukraine war, provisionally in Budapest, within the next two weeks or shortly thereafter. This follows their first meeting in Alaska on August 15, which ended without a major breakthrough.
“There are many questions, negotiating teams need to be determined, and so on and so forth. Therefore, everything will be done in stages, but, of course, the presidents’ will is there,” Peskov said. “It (the summit) could indeed take place within two weeks or a little later. There’s a general understanding that nothing should be put off.”
The Kremlin confirmed that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will coordinate to finalize pre-summit details, including negotiation frameworks and participant lists.
The announcement came ahead of President Trump’s scheduled meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, amid reports that Washington is considering supplying Kyiv with Tomahawk missiles — a move Moscow has warned could escalate tensions further.
Separately, Putin also spoke by phone with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who reportedly offered to host the summit in Budapest. Orbán emphasized Hungary’s readiness to facilitate the high-stakes dialogue aimed at finding a diplomatic path forward.
Meanwhile, in Frankfurt, a German government spokesperson reacted to the developments, saying that Putin’s outreach demonstrated that he “reacts to pressure for serious peace talks.” The spokesperson added that “pressure on Mr. Putin must be increased as a matter of urgency,” suggesting that the Kremlin’s engagement followed recent U.S. diplomatic moves and strategic announcements.
Russia continues to accuse Kyiv and its Western allies of blocking peace talks, while Ukraine and European nations maintain that Moscow’s terms remain “unacceptable” and that Putin has yet to show genuine intent toward ending the war.
If confirmed, the Budapest summit would mark a significant diplomatic moment, potentially setting the stage for renewed negotiations between Washington and Moscow on one of the world’s most volatile conflicts.
