Executive Summary
The Story So Far
Why This Matters
Who Thinks What?
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Tuesday that she could neither confirm nor deny reports regarding the potential location for proposed talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and President Donald Trump. The discussions follow recent engagements by Trump aimed at brokering an end to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, including a summit with Putin in Alaska and a meeting with Zelensky at the White House.
Meeting Prospects and Location Speculation
The prospect of a trilateral meeting emerged after Trump hosted President Putin for a summit at a U.S. military base in Alaska on Friday. During that meeting, Trump reportedly leaned towards Putin’s demands for Ukraine to make concessions over land seized by Russia, having previously suggested “land swaps” between the two nations.
Following the Alaska summit, President Trump met with President Zelensky and other European leaders at the White House on Monday. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the United States’ ongoing efforts to mediate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, which Russia initiated without provocation in 2022. The meeting concluded with Trump signaling openness to certain security guarantees for Ukraine, though the specifics of these guarantees remain unclear.
On Tuesday, Leavitt was specifically questioned about a Politico report indicating that the White House was considering Budapest, Hungary, as the site for a trilateral meeting involving Zelensky, Putin, and Trump. “I can neither confirm or deny reports about location, but we will have more information on that soon,” the press secretary informed reporters.
Politico‘s report cited a Trump administration official and an individual close to the administration as sources. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is known as a close ally of President Putin, a relationship that has continued even after the Russian leader’s invasion of Ukraine. Orban’s far-right government has faced accusations of numerous human rights violations, dismantling Hungary’s legal system, and eroding press freedoms.
Meeting Format Evolution
Initially, President Trump had expressed a desire for three-way talks between himself, President Zelensky, and President Putin. However, after speaking with the Russian leader later on Monday, Trump indicated that he was arranging for a face-to-face meeting between Zelensky and Putin first, with a trilateral meeting potentially following if deemed necessary.
Leavitt elaborated on the evolving nature of the meeting proposal, stating, “It was an idea that evolved in the course of the president’s conversations with both President Putin, President Zelensky and the European leaders yesterday.”
When a reporter suggested that the Kremlin had not firmly agreed to a Zelensky meeting, Leavitt countered, “I can assure you that the United States government and the Trump administration is working with both Russia and Ukraine to make that bilateral happen as we speak.”
The Trump administration is currently working to finalize the details of a potential meeting between President Putin and President Zelensky. Leavitt confirmed that more information regarding the time and location would be shared once they are confirmed.
