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President Donald Trump said Thursday that he had a “very productive” phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that both sides agreed to hold a high-level meeting next week, followed by a possible Trump-Putin summit in Budapest.
In an update on Truth Social, Trump said that Putin congratulated him and the United States on what he called a “Great Accomplishment of Peace in the Middle East,” and added that success there could help efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Trump said the two leaders also discussed trade once the conflict is over and that Putin thanked First Lady Melania Trump for her work with children.
U.S.Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the initial meetings between U.S. and Russian advisers, with a location still to be determined, Trump said. Both leaders are then expected to meet in Budapest to explore options to end the war, he added.
The announcement comes a day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s scheduled visit to the White House. The meeting is expected to focus on U.S. air-defense support, long-range strike options, and Ukraine’s energy security as Russian attacks continue to hit infrastructure across the country.
Trump said he plans to brief Zelenskyy on his call with Putin and added that he believes “great progress was made” during their conversation.
