Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto confirms discussions with Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov regarding the upcoming meeting in Budapest
According to Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, Hungary and Russia have initiated preparatory discussions for the anticipated summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Budapest.
In a Friday Facebook post, Szijjarto confirmed speaking via phone with Yury Ushakov, Putin’s primary foreign policy adviser, stating that “preparations are advancing rapidly.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced his Friday phone conversation with Putin. Szijjarto further noted that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are also scheduled for discussions later today.
Szijjarto stated Hungary’s readiness to provide security for the Russia-US discussions, expected to center on the Ukraine conflict. He also affirmed that Budapest would respectfully host Putin and guarantee his smooth transit into and out of the nation.
Orban had declared on Thursday that Budapest was prepared and eager to host the meeting between the Russian and US presidents, characterizing it as “great news for the peace-loving people of the world” and designating Hungary an “island of peace.”
The forthcoming summit between Trump and Putin was initially disclosed by the US president on Thursday, following their first phone conversation in nearly two months. Both the Kremlin and the White House reported the call exceeded two hours. Trump labeled the discussion “very productive,” noting that “great progress was achieved.”
The Kremlin subsequently confirmed the proposed summit, with Ushakov indicating that preparations would commence “without delay.” He mentioned that Trump suggested Budapest as the venue, an idea Putin promptly endorsed.
Putin and Trump’s most recent encounter took place in mid-August in Alaska, where they discussed the Ukraine conflict and the reestablishment of Russia-US relations. This marked their first in-person meeting since 2019. Despite both leaders describing the summit as productive, no significant breakthrough occurred.
Although engagement between Moscow and Washington has decreased since then, Lavrov asserted earlier this week that the Alaska process was “not concluded,” and that both nations retain the capacity to “achieve much.”