Why The Trump-Putin Meeting In Budapest Didn’t Happen; How Ukraine Faces The Fallout | World News
Washington: Plans for US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet face to face in Budapest (Hungary) within the next two weeks have fallen through. The US president has proposed a ceasefire to freeze the war on existing front lines. The offer was aimed at stopping bloodshed and creating space for future negotiations.
“I don’t want the meeting to go to waste. I don’t want to waste any time, so I’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday.
The collapse came two months after Trump and Putin hastily convened a summit in Alaska in August. That meeting was also inconclusive. The Russia-Ukraine war, Europe’s deadliest war since World War II, has killed tens of thousands of people.
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Trump’s Proposal
Trump suggested that Russia and Ukraine should immediately stop fighting on their current battle lines. “What I’m saying is they should stand on the battle lines right now, go home, stop killing people and finish their job,” he said.
He pointed to Donbas, the industrial region at the center of the conflict. “Let it be cut as it is. It is being cut right now, I think 78 percent of it is already in Russia’s hands. Leave it that way now. They can negotiate something in the future,” he said.
European and Ukrainian Reaction
European leaders and President Zelenskyy voiced their strong support. In the statement, it was stated that they “strongly” supported Trump’s proposal to stop the fighting and use the existing lines as the basis for negotiations.
They accused Moscow of stalling. “Russia’s delaying tactics have repeatedly shown that Ukraine is the only party serious about peace. We all see that Putin continues to choose violence and destruction,” the statement said.
The leaders also vowed to “increase pressure on the Russian economy and defense industry until Putin is ready to make peace.”
Russia Retreats
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Moscow’s position. Russia will not freeze the war. Moscow demands the complete disarmament of Ukraine and control of the claimed territories.
Reuters reported that Russia sent a special note to the United States over the weekend demanding full control of Donbas, not just the captured areas.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters that Russia “has not changed its position compared to the agreement reached at the Alaska summit.”
He emphasized that ending the war requires eliminating the “root causes” of the conflict, including Ukraine’s surrender of territory. Kyiv denies this.
Trump’s Changing Position
Trump’s stance has fluctuated. He once claimed he could end the war in 24 hours. He put pressure on Zelenskyy at a meeting in the Oval Office in February, threatening secondary tariffs and sanctions against Moscow. He met with Putin in Alaska in August and called for a deal that would force Ukraine to give up territory. He later supported Ukraine’s right to reclaim territory.
“There will be some land swaps,” he told reporters.
He later suggested that Kiev could regain lost areas or “maybe go even further”.
Impact on War
The collapse of the summit leaves the war unresolved. Zelenskyy visited the White House last week to search for US Tomahawk missiles. He aimed to target deep into Russian territory but could not ensure its security.
Trump signaled that NATO allies in Europe should play a stronger role in supporting Ukraine. The United States hesitated to increase military aid.
The once-promising ceasefire plan has now stalled. For now, the front lines remain the battlefield and the end of the war remains uncertain.
