IRIA News

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U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 16, 2025. Following the call, Trump announced that he and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest in the coming weeks to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine.

Trump described the conversation as “productive” and said “great progress was made.” He confirmed that top U.S. and Russian officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, would hold preparatory meetings next week before the leaders’ summit.

“President Putin and I will then meet in an agreed-upon location, Budapest, Hungary, to see if we can bring this ‘inglorious’ war between Russia and Ukraine to an end,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The Kremlin has not yet confirmed the planned meeting in Hungary. Trump said Putin also congratulated him on his recent deal to end the war in Gaza, which Washington brokered between Israel and Hamas earlier this month.

The upcoming summit in Hungary would mark the second face-to-face meeting between the two presidents since their August talks in Alaska, which ended without any tangible progress toward peace.

Zelenskyy visiting White House

The Trump-Putin announcement came just a day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to visit the White House. Zelenskyy is expected to push for more advanced U.S. weapons, including Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles capable of striking deep inside Russian territory.

A senior Ukrainian official said that “the main topic of discussion is Tomahawks.” The missiles, with a range of about 1,600 kilometers, could allow Ukraine to reach Moscow and other major Russian cities.

Trump has hinted that he might use the missiles as leverage in negotiations with Moscow. “If this war is not going to get settled, I’m going to send them Tomahawks,” he told reporters earlier this week. “The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, a very offensive weapon, and honestly, Russia does not need that.” The Kremlin has described the possible supply of Tomahawks to Ukraine as a “whole new level of escalation.”

Mixed Signals on Weapons Support

Despite Trump’s tough rhetoric, uncertainty remains over whether Washington will approve the delivery of Tomahawks or other advanced systems. A Ukrainian official told Axios that Kyiv is “still unsure” if Trump will ultimately authorize the missiles. Ukraine is also seeking faster deliveries of Patriot air defense systems and other U.S.-made weaponry as Russian attacks intensify.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that the United States would “impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression” unless the war ends soon.

Zelenskyy’s upcoming visit underscores Kyiv’s growing frustration with the pace of U.S. support. Relations between Trump and Zelenskyy have improved since their tense televised exchange in February, when Trump told the Ukrainian leader, “You don’t have the cards.” The two are now expected to discuss what Trump has called a possible “new ultimatum” for Putin: either negotiate seriously or face expanded U.S. arms deliveries to Ukraine.

Escalating Conflict

The announcement of a new Trump-Putin summit comes amid a sharp escalation in fighting. Zelenskyy said Thursday that Russia launched more than 300 drones and 37 missiles overnight, targeting power and energy facilities across Ukraine. The attacks mark the start of what Kyiv fears will be another winter campaign against its critical infrastructure.

Ukraine responded by striking an oil refinery in Russia’s Saratov region, continuing its efforts to push the war deeper into Russian territory. Energy networks have been central to the conflict since Russia’s invasion in 2022, with both sides now locked in a cycle of attacks and retaliation.

Energy Pressure and Global Moves

Trump also said Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to stop buying Russian oil, adding that the U.S. would pressure China to do the same. India has not publicly confirmed the commitment, though Reuters reported that some Indian refiners are preparing to reduce imports of Russian crude.

Energy sanctions and oil exports have become critical leverage points in Trump’s foreign policy toward Moscow. “We will use every tool available, economic and diplomatic, to bring this war to a close,” Defense Secretary Hegseth said.

The date for the Trump-Putin summit has not been announced, but both sides are expected to finalize logistics in the coming days. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a close ally of both leaders, has offered to host the meeting in Budapest.

Trump said he would brief Zelenskyy on his talks with Putin during their meeting at the White House on Friday. “I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation,” he said.

Whether that optimism translates into concrete results remains uncertain. The Kremlin’s silence and Kyiv’s growing impatience highlight the fragile balance Trump faces as he tries to negotiate an end to a war now entering its fourth year.