U.S. President Donald Trump is once again focusing on ending the conflict in Ukraine, announcing plans for a new meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The initial summit held in Alaska between the two leaders had not achieved any substantial progress.
Trump announced the decision following a call with Putin that lasted over two hours on Thursday, describing it as a plan that would "ultimately bring peace to this conflict"—he previously claimed he could resolve it in just one day. However, this initiative diminishes the pressure that had been building on Putin in recent weeks. Trump had also expressed discontent with Putin's delays regarding the resolution of the war.
The call between Trump and Putin took place just ahead of his scheduled meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. In recent weeks, Trump's tone towards Zelensky has softened, while his stance towards Putin has cooled—starkly contrasting his earlier indifference towards Zelensky, whom he publicly criticized in the Oval Office earlier this year.
For Zelensky, the more concerning aspect is Trump's vagueness on two critical issues: whether the U.S. will supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles and Senate efforts to enforce punitive sanctions on Russia. "The United States also needs Tomahawk missiles," Trump stated to reporters in the Oval Office, "so I don't know what we can do about that." Regarding sanctions, he mentioned that new hardline measures pushed by Republicans "may not come at the perfect time, but could materialize in a week or two."
After ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel at a summit in Gaza, both Ukraine and Russia seem poised to leverage Trump's momentum for their distinct objectives—despite opposing goals. Zelensky believes that Trump's growing dissatisfaction with Putin may compel him to exert pressure that the White House has hitherto refrained from. During this meeting, Zelensky is expected to once again seek U.S. assistance in acquiring air defense systems, new energy supplies, and the long-desired Tomahawk missiles.
However, Trump has yet to agree to provide these supplies to Ukraine. The Kremlin disclosed that during the call, Putin warned Trump that if the U.S. were to provide Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, it "would significantly damage relations between both countries, let alone the prospects for a peaceful resolution."
Sergey Radchenko, a professor at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies and a Cold War historian, remarked that considering the grand nature of the Alaska summit which did not yield any agreements in August, Trump's willingness to meet again is "almost reckless." He noted that what is needed now is a strategy combining "pressure and communication."
"I see that efforts for dialogue are being made, but I have not seen 'maximum pressure'," Radchenko commented.
Nonetheless, Trump appears to be relying on a "carrot policy" to entice Putin back to the negotiating table. He mentioned that the two leaders discussed the promising trade prospects post-conflict in detail. The Kremlin noted that Trump emphasized that the economic opportunities after the war "would be immense."
Maria Snegovaya, a senior research fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) focusing on Europe, Russia, and Eurasia, remarked that as low-level dialogues and plans for an eventual leaders' summit progress, "Putin is essentially buying time, delaying the U.S. delivery of much-needed weapons to Ukraine while holding off the energy sanctions Trump promised to implement."
The planned summit location in Budapest—Hungary's capital—could also spark concerns among European allies, who may view Russia's attempts to stir up U.S.-European relations as provocative. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has faced severe criticism from EU and NATO allies, and even after Putin's invasion of Ukraine, he has maintained close ties with Russia, publicly opposing EU sanctions on Russia, prohibiting arms shipments to Ukraine, and finalizing long-term natural gas contracts with Russia.
Orban stated on public radio that he plans to hold a call with Putin on Friday and is preparing for the summit's reception. He referred to the contents of his Thursday evening discussion with Trump, indicating that after a meeting between the foreign ministers, the U.S. and Russian leaders might arrive in Budapest the week following next.
Trump has previously made "Europe's complete cessation of all Russian energy supplies" a prerequisite for the U.S. to adopt a hardline stance against Russia. However, since the onset of the Ukraine war, while the EU has drastically reduced purchases of Russian oil and gas, Hungary remains one of the few EU countries continuing to depend on Russian energy imports.
Despite the internal tensions within Europe, Trump has long viewed Orban as a close ally on the international stage—one of the few foreign leaders within the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) circle. Therefore, Trump may perceive Budapest as a "friendly city" for his summit with Putin.
Orban posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) stating that preparations for the "U.S.-Russia Peace Summit" have commenced, adding, "Hungary is an island of peace!"
Celeste Wallander, a part-time senior fellow at the New American Security Center and senior Pentagon official responsible for Russia and European affairs during the Biden administration, indicated that if the White House does not simultaneously apply "consequences" against Russia, Trump's second summit with Putin poses significant risks.
She cautioned that if the summit fails to yield any acceptable agreements, it would again "give Putin the opportunity to signal to the world that he holds the narrative."
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