Trump calls PM Orbán after Putin: White House eyes Budapest for Ukraine peace summit
What we know for certain is that Donald Trump telephoned Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán immediately after speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin, pressing him on why Hungary continues to oppose Ukraine’s bid for EU membership. We also know that Orbán hopes to host a Trump–Putin–Zelenskyy summit in Budapest, with sources close to the White House suggesting that the Hungarian capital is gaining prominence as a potential venue.
Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy could all head to Budapest
According to Politico, citing both a Trump administration insider and a government official, Budapest is rapidly emerging as the favoured site for a possible summit between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The notion carries weight, given the cordial ties between Trump and Orbán — the Hungarian premier was among the first world leaders to endorse Trump, a gesture the re-elected president apparently has not forgotten.
The U.S. Secret Service is reportedly already making preparations for the meeting. Trump has indicated that discussions would begin between Putin and Zelenskyy, with him joining later. The White House is giving serious consideration to Budapest, although alternative locations remain on the table: French President Emmanuel Macron has backed Geneva, while Putin favours Moscow. Politico notes that for Ukraine, Budapest carries bitter symbolism, recalling the failed 1994 memorandum signed there.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt declined to confirm or deny whether Budapest is under consideration.
Will the summit deliver results?
The central question is whether the meeting could yield any tangible outcome. Trump himself voiced scepticism during a recent interview with Fox News, warning that negotiations would be difficult — particularly as Putin may have little genuine intention of ending the war. Russian forces have recently achieved significant tactical gains in the Donbas. To increase pressure on Moscow, Trump has threatened sanctions against countries purchasing Russian oil — a list that includes Hungary.
For Ukrainians, the potential compromises are stark. Trump believes President Zelenskyy will have to concede some territory — including areas not currently occupied by Russia but which have suffered heavy Ukrainian losses. Trump couched this diplomatically, saying Zelenskyy must demonstrate “some flexibility.” He has also ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine, though indicated that other matters remain negotiable.
In recent days, leaders across Europe, the U.S., and Russia have exchanged praise (with the Russians mostly commending Trump) and expressed a willingness to explore peace talks. Still, it remains uncertain how acceptable the terms would be to all parties.
What security guarantees can Kyiv expect?
The one encouraging sign for Ukraine is that Trump appears to recognise the importance of credible security guarantees, especially in light of Russia’s repeated breaches of past agreements. Discussions are leaning towards a framework in which no U.S. troops would be deployed in Ukraine, but European forces — with Russian consent, according to Trump — could be stationed there. These troops, logistically supported by the U.S. by air, would not fall under the NATO umbrella.
In this scenario, Ukraine would have to abandon its NATO aspirations. Instead, German, French, and British troops would provide what Trump has described as “NATO-like security guarantees” — though outside the formal alliance.
Trump called Orbán again
Another possible component of the security package involves Ukraine’s EU membership — or at least the launch of accession talks, which Hungary has blocked for years. According to Bloomberg, Trump telephoned Orbán immediately after his call with Putin — during ongoing discussions with European leaders — to challenge Hungary’s opposition.
Orbán, who previously made a habit of publicising every conversation with Trump, has remained silent on this occasion. His office merely reiterated Hungary’s stance that Ukraine does not require EU membership to secure guarantees, arguing instead that accession would be harmful. Nevertheless, Orbán has publicly advocated for a Trump–Putin meeting and broader Europe-Russia talks. Bloomberg did not specify Orbán’s exact reply to Trump, though it is likely he repeated the Hungarian government’s position: that alleged discrimination against the Hungarian minority in western Ukraine remains the principal reason for Budapest’s veto.
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Putin’s aircraft will need to fly over a NATO country like Poland to reach Budapest. Could the Poles perhaps fire everything they have to blow Putin’s plane to smithereens and hopefully Lavrov will be on board as well when it happens. As Stalin said “No person. No problem.”
“Budapest? Not everyone may remember this, but in 1994, Ukraine already got assurances of territorial integrity from the U.S., Russia, and the U.K. In Budapest,” Tusk wrote on X. “Maybe I’m superstitious, but this time I would try to find another place.” Tusk is right. Having such a meeting in Budapest makes a mockery of the whole process and really is a complete insult to Ukraine. On top of that Orban has been doing everything he can to screw Ukraine since the beginning of the war. Budapest is hardly a neutral place. In any case Putin probably won’t meet with Zelensky because it would be difficult to explain it to the Russian people. Putin spent the last three a half years telling Russians that Zelensky is a Nazi and that Ukraine is just a puppet state of the West and that Zelensky is illegitimate. Putin has been telling Russians that Ukraine is not a real country. Sitting down with Zelensky would be a failure for Putin and an indirect admission of Ukraine’s legitimacy as a state which is why Zelensky has been pushing for a face to face meeting.