Crucial Summit: Zelensky Extends Hand to Historic Trump-Putin Talks in Budapest

The world's eyes are turning to Budapest, poised to host a historic summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, amid hopes for ending the devastating conflict in Ukraine that has persisted for over three years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has openly declared his full readiness to join these negotiations if officially invited, emphasizing Ukraine's openness to any format—whether a direct trilateral meeting or shuttle diplomacy involving separate talks with each leader.

Zelensky underscored that such a face-to-face encounter among the three leaders would mark a historic turning point toward peace, especially as no meeting of this kind has occurred in recent years. As the United States continues its mediation efforts, Zelensky is pushing to discuss Ukraine’s security needs, advocating for the use of frozen Russian assets to fund the purchase of Patriot air defense systems, after Trump refused to provide long-range Tomahawk missiles out of concern for escalation with Russia.

Zelensky also criticized Hungary’s stance, describing its implicit support for the Kremlin as unhelpful, and affirmed Ukraine's willingness to participate even if the summit is held in neutral countries such as Turkey, Switzerland, or the Vatican. Meanwhile, Russia’s demand that Kyiv relinquish the Donetsk region remains a major hurdle in peace negotiations, making the upcoming summit a pivotal opportunity that could either pave the way for peace or deepen divisions.