Zelensky Says He’s Ready to Join Putin, Trump at Budapest Summit — If Invited

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed readiness to attend a potential Budapest summit alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, provided he receives an invitation.

Speaking to reporters in remarks released on Monday, Zelensky said he would consider joining the meeting in any format proposed — whether trilateral or through what he described as “shuttle diplomacy,” where President Trump would hold separate talks with each leader.

“If I am invited to Budapest — if it is an invitation in a format where we meet as three or, as it’s called, shuttle diplomacy, President Trump meets with Putin and President Trump meets with me — then in one format or another, we will agree,” Zelensky stated.

The comments follow announcements from Trump and Putin that they plan to meet in Budapest, Hungary, in the coming weeks, as part of Trump’s renewed push to broker a peace deal to end the three-and-a-half-year war sparked by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

However, Zelensky was critical of the choice of venue, pointing to Hungary’s frosty ties with Kyiv and its Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s perceived closeness to Moscow.

“I do not believe that a prime minister who blocks Ukraine everywhere can do anything positive for Ukrainians or even provide a balanced contribution,” Zelensky said.

Kyiv, he added, would prefer that any three-way meeting between the leaders take place in a neutral location such as Turkey, Switzerland, or the Vatican.

Zelensky also alluded to the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, under which Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom pledged to guarantee Ukraine’s security in exchange for surrendering its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal.

“Another ‘Budapest’ scenario wouldn’t be positive either,” he warned.

Since returning to the White House earlier this year, President Trump has sought a swift end to the conflict, holding several rounds of direct talks with both sides — including a high-profile summit with Putin in Alaska — though these efforts have yet to yield a breakthrough.

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Zelensky Open to Meeting Putin and Trump at Budapest Peace Summit — If Invited

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is willing to join Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at a proposed Budapest summit to discuss ending the Russia-Ukraine war, but criticises Hungary’s neutrality and urges talks in a more balanced venue.