US, Russia, Ukraine to hold potential peace meeting in Hungary
The White House is planning for a possible trilateral meeting between the US, Russian, and Ukrainian presidents in the Hungarian capital of Budapest, Politico reported on Tuesday.
Citing two anonymous sources, the report indicated that the US Secret Service is scouting multiple locations, with Budapest emerging as the leading candidate.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Briefs Members of the Media, Aug. 19, 2025 https://t.co/xcjaSvdfpt
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 19, 2025
Earlier, President Donald Trump revealed he called his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, 'to begin the arrangements,' with the Russian President identifying Moscow as his preferred meeting location.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron advocated for Geneva, which later offered 'immunity' to Putin regarding an outstanding war crimes warrant if the city were selected for peace talks.
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed he is "ready" to meet Putin, Moscow tempered the initial enthusiasm. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that any summit would require careful preparation, proceeding "step by step, gradually, beginning at the expert level and then moving through all necessary steps."
These developments follow Trump's meeting with Putin in Alaska last week, and his discussions on Monday with Zelenskyy alongside European leaders. The meetings aimed to explore potential pathways to end the war, though no breakthrough has been reported.
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