A video featuring Ukrainian President Zelensky seeking more weapons as President Trump plans a meeting with Vladimir Putin to discuss a cease-fire. Video credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times.
A significant development in international relations emerged on Thursday: after a more than two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, President Trump announced his intention to meet with Putin in Hungary within “two weeks or so.” The primary goal of this high-stakes summit is to explore avenues for ending Russia’s three-year invasion of Ukraine.
This planned meeting follows a call that Trump described as “productive,” coming just a day before he was scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington. Zelensky’s visit is largely anticipated to include a plea for more sophisticated weaponry from the United States, specifically long-range missiles capable of striking targets deep inside Russia.
However, despite previous indications that he might authorize the sale of Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, President Trump showed signs of hesitation. He suggested he might reconsider further arming Ukraine if Putin genuinely committed to negotiating a peaceful resolution to the conflict. “We talked about it a little bit,” Trump remarked regarding his discussion with Putin. “We need Tomahawks for the United States of America, too.” He further stated that Putin was against the provision of these missiles, calling the Tomahawk a “vicious weapon,” “offensive, incredibly destructive,” and adding, “Nobody wants Tomahawks shot at them.”
This latest move—engaging directly with Putin on the eve of a meeting with Zelensky, especially after recent expressions of frustration over Russia’s lack of commitment to peace—reflects a recurring pattern in how Trump has approached the war in Ukraine. Throughout this year, Trump has frequently approached the brink of imposing new sanctions on Russia or providing crucial military aid to Ukraine, only to pivot after speaking with Putin, rekindling hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough. So far, these efforts have yielded minimal tangible results.
Earlier in the spring, Trump criticized Putin for “playing with fire” through his actions in the war, hinting at potential sanctions. Yet, he ultimately deferred action, stating he needed more time to assess Putin’s sincerity in negotiations. The sanctions never materialized. Similarly, an early August deadline for Putin to end the war passed without penalties. Instead, Trump met with the Russian leader in Alaska, after which he claimed progress toward peace. Nevertheless, Putin’s military campaign in Ukraine continued unabated, with little public indication of a willingness to retreat.
Critics quickly voiced concerns, asserting that Trump was once again inadvertently empowering Putin by offering a high-profile summit without guaranteed concessions, thereby allowing Russia to prolong the conflict on its own terms. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, commented, “After walking away from his Alaska summit with Putin empty-handed, President Trump has now decided to reward Putin again by rolling out the red carpet in Hungary.” She added, “President Trump is repeating the mistakes of the past by not arming Ukraine to the teeth and letting them win this war. Now he’s taking it a step further by rewarding Putin while Ukraine gets nothing.”
Despite the criticism, Trump’s decision to re-engage with Putin underscores his growing confidence in his ability to manage international conflicts. Fresh off what appears to be a notable success in brokering a cease-fire and hostage release between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Trump is now once again dedicating himself to peacemaking in Ukraine, even as he openly discusses potential military actions against Venezuela. “We hope we’re going to get it stopped,” Trump said of the Ukraine war, expressing belief that his personal relationship with Putin would facilitate a swift resolution. He also noted, “Who would think I did Middle East before I did this?”
Following his meeting with President Zelensky at the White House on Friday, Trump indicated that he would dispatch senior advisors, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to engage with Putin’s senior officials. Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin aide, confirmed that envoys from both nations would meet “without delay” to prepare for the upcoming summit. The anticipated meeting between Trump and Putin is expected to take place in Budapest, hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Trump articulated their objective on social media: “to see if we can bring this ‘inglorious’ War, between Russia and Ukraine, to an end.”
However, foreign policy experts caution that the summit’s realization is far from certain, likely dependent on the success of the preliminary discussions between the senior officials. John E. Herbst, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, remarked, “I can easily see it falling apart as they grapple with the actual issues.” Yet, Herbst also highlighted the significance of Trump’s renewed focus on the conflict. “Trump has said since before he was elected he wants endurable peace,” Herbst stated. “He has put his reputation behind that concept. To allow himself to be played by Putin indefinitely doesn’t serve his interests.”
Before his call with Putin on Thursday, Trump had previously blamed the Russian leader for the ongoing attacks in Ukraine, which he felt undermined his peace-brokering efforts. He had also underscored the complexities of negotiating with Putin, at times implying that Putin had misled him and his team. “I’m very disappointed because Vladimir and I had a very good relationship, probably still do,” Trump said at the White House on Tuesday. “I don’t know why he continues with this war.”
But after their call, Trump adopted a noticeably more cordial tone. He mentioned that Putin had congratulated him on his Middle East diplomatic achievements, suggesting that his success in negotiating the Gaza cease-fire and hostage release would bolster his efforts in ending the Ukraine conflict. He further noted Putin’s appreciation for the work of his wife, Melania Trump, who has been involved in discussions with Putin regarding the return of Ukrainian children separated from their families during the war. Trump added in his social media post, “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.”
William B. Taylor, another former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, expressed concern that the administration might be repeating a familiar pattern with Putin. After reviewing Trump’s summary of his call, Taylor stated, “Here we go again. We can hope that we’ve learned how Putin works.” He concluded, “There’s no sign that Putin is interested in ending this war,” while still hoping that Trump might exert pressure on Putin, similar to his influence on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.