Former U.S. President Donald Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday, just days after announcing plans for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest. The meetings mark a new stage in Trump’s efforts to position himself as a key broker in ending the war in Ukraine.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Trump said Thursday that he and Putin had agreed during a phone call to meet in Hungary within two weeks to discuss “steps toward peace.” The planned summit would be their second face-to-face meeting this year, following one in Alaska that ended without major progress.

The announcement comes as Zelensky visits Washington to seek stronger U.S. support for Ukraine, including the possible delivery of Tomahawk cruise missiles. These long-range weapons would allow Kyiv to strike deeper into Russian-held territory, a move Moscow has warned would seriously damage relations with Washington.

Balancing diplomacy and defense

Trump faces a delicate challenge: maintaining support for Ukraine’s defense while opening direct talks with the Kremlin. During his Thursday remarks, Trump described his conversation with Putin as “productive” and said both sides would send senior officials to prepare for the Budapest summit.

“I’ve made deals all my life,” Trump told reporters. “This is a tough one, but I think we can get it done.”

Zelensky, speaking ahead of his White House visit, said the talks with Trump would focus on “security guarantees and real defense support.” He also suggested that Moscow’s sudden interest in diplomacy may have been triggered by discussions over new U.S. weapons for Ukraine.

“We can already see that Moscow is rushing to resume dialogue,” Zelensky said. “They understand that stronger U.S. support means a stronger Ukraine.”

Putin’s position and Hungary’s role

The Kremlin confirmed that Putin and Trump had agreed “in principle” to meet in Budapest, though no exact date has been set. Russian officials said Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio — one of Trump’s top envoys — would hold preliminary talks in the coming days.

Putin has faced an international arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, complicating his travel to European Union countries. Hungary, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, is one of the few EU states that has maintained close ties with Moscow and could host the summit without risk of arrest.

Orbán praised the decision, calling Hungary “the only place in Europe where a Trump-Putin meeting can safely happen.”

Seeking peace or political leverage?

Analysts say the back-to-back meetings with Zelensky and Putin could reshape Trump’s foreign policy approach and his image as a negotiator ahead of the 2026 U.S. elections.

“Trump is trying to reassert his brand of deal-making diplomacy,” said Dan Fried, a former U.S. State Department official. “But Putin may use the summit to slow down international pressure or gain time on the battlefield.”

Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned that supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would cross a “red line.” U.S. officials have not confirmed whether the weapons will be approved, but sources say the proposal is under review.

If the Budapest summit proceeds, it would mark the first major U.S.-Russia peace negotiation since early 2024. Expectations remain low, but the talks could signal a possible thaw after years of hostility.

For Ukraine, the outcome of the Washington meeting may prove crucial. Zelensky hopes to secure more advanced weapons and a long-term commitment of U.S. aid. For Trump, success could bolster his claims of being the only leader capable of negotiating directly with both sides.

As world leaders prepare for the two high-stakes meetings, the central question remains: can Trump’s approach bring an end to the war — or will it give Russia room to regroup?