US President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, in a new attempt by the American to push Moscow toward a peace agreement with Ukraine. The conversation, the first between the two since their meeting in Alaska in August, comes on the eve of a new trip by Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington. Although the White House did not mention any specific progress, it has served as a platform for the two leaders to meet shortly in Hungary.
Trump was the first to give his version in a message posted on his social network."I just concluded my telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and it was very productive. President Putin congratulated me and the United States on the great achievement of peace in the Middle East, something he said has been dreamed of for centuries. I firmly believe that this success in the Middle East will contribute to our negotiations to end the war with Russia and Ukraine. President Putin thanked First Lady Melania for her commitment to children. He was very grateful and affirmed that this commitment will continue. We also spent considerable time discussing trade between Russia and the United States after the war in Ukraine is over," he said.
The opening, in true Trump style, mixes many different things. He says the conversation was productive, something he has said on all previous occasions except one. At the same time, he pats himself on the back for the agreement between Israel and Hamas, which Putin had already praised last week. He also mentions his family and the Russian's gratitude. His relationship with Putin is one of Trump's obsessions, and in virtually every intervention in which he mentions him, he emphasizes that they have a wonderful relationship, despite occasionally acknowledging that this isn't serving the goal of ending the war in Ukraine. And finally, he addresses the issue of trade relations, which, in the Trumpian worldview, conditions everything: if someone is hostile, he applies tariffs; if someone is friendly, he gives them the"honor and privilege" of trading with the United States. And that way, he maintains, the problems will end. A vision that doesn't fit at all with that of Putin and Russian nationalism.
The second part of his message at Truth Social concerns the logistics of the coming weeks. The Ukrainian delegation has been in Washington all week, and Zelensky will join them tomorrow, Friday. After their historic clash in the spring, relations between the two have improved significantly, while the White House seemed to be assuming that it has no influence over the Kremlin and that Putin has little intention of signing a peace agreement. And that's why the talk in the US capital is whether Trump will authorize the delivery of Tomahawk missiles to kyiv."Zelensky wants the missiles, and we have plenty of them. If this war isn't resolved, he could send Tomahawks. It's an incredible weapon. And Russia doesn't need it. If the war isn't resolved, we could do it. Maybe not. But we could," the president said a couple of days ago.
"At the end of the call, we agreed to a meeting of our senior advisors next week. The initial U.S. meetings will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with others to be named shortly. The location of the meeting is to be determined. President Putin and I will meet at an agreed-upon location, Budapest, Hungary, to see if we can end this 'ignominious' war between Russia and Ukraine. President Zelenskyy and I will meet tomorrow in the Oval Office, where we will discuss my conversation with President Putin and many other topics. I believe today's telephone conversation was a major step forward," Trump concluded.
The city of Budapest has been in the White House's sights for two months. Trump is currently talking about a possible meeting with Putin, but in August a three-way meeting, also with Zelensky, was on the table. Everything will depend on tomorrow's meeting in the Oval Office, but Hungary is an unthinkable option, or almost an unthinkable one, for the Ukrainians. Viktor Orban is Putin's closest ally in the EU, the one who has put the most obstacles in the way of sanctions against Moscow and aid to kyiv in recent years. And, at the same time, he is one of Trump's main allies in Europe.
In August, it was reported that the U.S. Secret Service was already analyzing the Hungarian capital's security measures on the ground, but the White House declined to confirm or deny this at the time. If before his meeting with Putin in Alaska, European leaders conspired to pressure Trump, the same will happen now, if the meeting between Marco Rubio and the Russian team goes well and clears the way.
