(MENAFN- Gulf Times) President Donald Trump said he would meet Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Budapest after making“great progress” in a call yesterday, just a day before Ukraine's leader is due at the White House to push for US-made Tomahawk missiles.
Trump did not give a date for the meeting in the Hungarian capital, which would be his second with Putin since returning to office. The pair met in Alaska in August without a breakthrough on ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
“I believe great progress was made with today's telephone conversation,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.
Trump said he and Putin would“meet in an agreed upon location, Budapest, Hungary, to see if we can bring this 'inglorious' war, between Russia and Ukraine, to an end.”
Top US and Russian officials including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio would hold“initial meetings” next week in an as yet to be decided location, Trump added.
Trump's comments represented the latest wild swing in his relations with Putin, after he recently expressed growing frustration with the Kremlin leader over his refusal to reach a peace deal.
There was no immediate reaction from the Kremlin - or from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is due to meet Trump today to push him to increase pressure on Putin.
During Zelensky's meeting with Trump at the White House on Friday“the main topic of discussion is Tomahawks,” a senior Ukrainian official told AFP.
Trump is considering a request from Ukraine for American-made Tomahawk cruise missiles, which have range of around 1,600km and could strike deep into Russia.
Trump had warned at the weekend that he would likely raise the issue first with Putin.

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