Trump and Putin Agree to Meet in Budapest Ahead of Trump–Zelenskyy White House Talks

On October 17, U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, where one of the central topics of discussion is expected to be the possible delivery of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kyiv, Orda.kz reports.

Prior to reports about the meeting, Trump held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin — their first contact since the Alaska summit.

According to the U.S. president, progress in achieving peace in the Middle East could also “help in negotiations and achieving an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.” He added that Putin thanked First Lady Melania Trump for her contribution to child protection, and that both sides discussed future trade relations once the conflict ends.

He noted that he plans to discuss the outcome of his conversation with Putin, along with other key issues, during his meeting with Zelenskyy at the White House.

From the Russian side, Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed that the call lasted nearly two and a half hours and described it as “constructive,” focusing mainly on the Ukrainian conflict.

According to Ushakov, the call took place at Russia’s initiative. Putin emphasized that the potential U.S. decision to supply Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would not change the situation on the battlefield but would cause “serious damage to Russian-American relations.”

Before the leaders meet, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will hold talks to determine the format and date of the summit. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that his country is ready to host the meeting between Trump and Putin.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Washington, where he is scheduled to meet with heads of U.S. defense corporations to discuss additional supplies of air defense systems and other military equipment. Afterward, he will hold talks with representatives of American energy companies.

According to the White House schedule, Zelenskyy will arrive at 1:00 PM Eastern Time for a closed-door working lunch with Trump. Following the talks, the U.S. president is expected to depart for Florida.

At the same time, several American media outlets report that Trump has shown hesitation about approving the Tomahawk transfer, citing concerns about U.S. weapons stockpiles and the potential for escalating diplomatic tensions.