Russia explained why Putin will meet Trump in Budapest

Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s good relations with US President Donald and Russian President Vladimir Putin contributed to Budapest being tapped as the venue of the summit on the situation in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

Russia hopes for progress

“We have a lot of homework to do. There must be work done between … our and the US foreign ministry,” he said.

Foreign affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the TASS news agency that the Russian and Hungarian foreign ministers had already had talks, and preparation was ongoing through diplomatic channels. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US counterpart Marco Rubio “will speak to each other soon.”

Russia hopes that the summit would bring progress towards the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, and that they could discuss bilateral ties, the spokesman said.

Russia seeks full control over Donetsk

According to the Anadolu, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow would like to use the talks to first “move forward on a peaceful settlement in Ukraine.” On Saturday, The Washington Post reported, citing two senior officials familiar with the conversation, that Putin demanded control over the eastern region during the phone call as a condition for ending the Russia-Ukraine war. According to the report, Putin expressed willingness to give up parts of Ukraine‘s Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, which are partially under Russian control, in exchange for full control over Donetsk.

Lithuania about Budapest summit: ‘no place in Europe for war criminals’

Lithuania on Monday rejected any possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hungary, saying there is “no place in Europe for war criminals.” Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said “we have to hold the principles of Europe that we all agree. And the only place for Putin in Europe that’s in The Hague, in front of the tribunal, not in any of our capitals,” he said.

Citing how the Russian president is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes, he stressed that he could not imagine how Putin could even cross European airspace. ​​​​​​​”There is no place for war criminals in Europe. There is no way through Europe for war criminals to (attend) any events,” he added.

Read also:

• The American ‘superweapon’ that frightened Putin so much he may seek peace in Budapest
• How could Vladimir Putin come to Budapest with all the sanctions and arrest warrants?

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