Trump-Putin Meeting in Hungary Postponed, No New Date Announced

October 22, 2025

Washington: A planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hungary has been postponed indefinitely, with both US and Russian officials confirming that no new date has been set.

Talks on Hold After ‘Constructive but Inconclusive’ Discussion

According to officials, preparations for the proposed summit in Budapest were paused after what was described as a “constructive but inconclusive” phone call between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier this week.

Following his own phone conversation with Putin last week, Trump had said he was ready to meet the Russian leader “soon” to explore a possible breakthrough in ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

However, speaking to reporters in Washington on Tuesday, Trump said he did not want to have “a wasted meeting,” Xinhua News Agency reported.

Kremlin: ‘Serious Preparation Required’

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the timing of any potential summit remained undecided, stressing that “serious preparation” would be essential before the leaders could meet.

Despite the delay, Russia’s special envoy for investment and economic cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev, posted on X that “preparations continue”, clarifying that the meeting had not been cancelled outright.

Tensions Over Ukraine Loom Large

The postponement comes just days after Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday, where he ruled out a trilateral summit involving Russia and Ukraine, citing persistent tensions between Moscow and Kyiv.

Trump and Putin last met in Alaska in August, but the discussions yielded no concrete results, and ceasefire negotiations remain deadlocked.

Trump Seeks ‘Reboot’ of Peace Efforts

On October 16, Trump announced plans to reboot efforts to end the “inglorious” Russia-Ukraine war, saying he would soon meet Putin to build on “progress” made during their recent call.

“I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation,” Trump posted on Truth Social, adding that he would discuss his talk with Putin during his next meeting with Zelensky.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later confirmed that the conversation between the two leaders had indeed taken place.