DÉJÀ VU: Trump Touts ‘Very Productive’ Call With Vladimir Putin and Announces New Summit With Russian Dictator
Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and US President Donald Trump (right) on the airfield after their arrival. Credit: Dmitry Azarov/Kommersant Photo/Sipa USA(Sipa via AP Images)
President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin will soon have another in-person meeting in Budapest, Hungary.
Earlier that morning, Trump took to Truth Social to reveal that he was on the phone with Putin to discuss the possibility of the end of Russia’s war with Ukraine. That phone call came a day before Trump is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.
According to Trump, the meeting went well and the two agreed on a number of meetings involving both their advisors and themselves. He also claimed that Putin commended him for the Gaza peace deal, adding that the Russian president told him the moment “has been dreamed of for centuries.”
Here’s the full text of his Truth Social post:
I have just concluded my telephone conversation with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, and it was a very productive one. President Putin congratulated me and the United States on the Great Accomplishment of Peace in the Middle East, something that, he said, has been dreamed of for centuries. I actually believe that the Success in the Middle East will help in our negotiation in attaining an end to the War with Russia/Ukraine. President Putin thanked the First Lady, Melania, for her involvement with children. He was very appreciative, and said that this will continue. We also spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over. At the conclusion of the call, we agreed that there will be a meeting of our High Level Advisors, next week. The United States’ initial meetings will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, together with various other people, to be designated. A meeting location is to be determined. President Putin and I will then meet in an agreed upon location, Budapest, Hungary, to see if we can bring this “inglorious” War, between Russia and Ukraine, to an end. President Zelenskyy and I will be meeting tomorrow, in the Oval Office, where we will discuss my conversation with President Putin, and much more. I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation.
Trump and Putin previously met during a highly-anticipated summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. The U.S. president came up empty in the meeting, with Trump later admitting “we didn’t get there” in reference to a potential peace deal.
