Winter Is Coming: Can A Trump – Putin Meeting In Budapest End Ukraine War?

In a caller negotiated push, President Trump has revealed plans for a high-stakes acme pinch Putin successful Budapest, Hungary, pinch nan nonsubjective of halting nan grinding warfare successful Ukraine.

The announcement, made aft what was said to beryllium a “very productive” two-hour telephone telephone connected October 16, is different eager effort by Trump to agent bid pinch tensions escalating.

Putin quickly agreed to nan venue, showing immoderate imaginable momentum successful a warfare that has claimed tens of thousands of lives since Russia’s 2022 invasion. As Trump prepares to big Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy astatine nan White House, nan mobility that is connected everyone’s lips is: Can this Trump-Putin speech yet extremity nan war?

Trump-Putin telephone telephone ignites dream for ending Ukraine war

The Trump-Putin telephone covered Ukraine bid talks, post-war US-Russia trade, and Middle East breakthroughs for illustration nan Gaza ceasefire. Trump called nan gathering “highly informative”, while Kremlin adjutant Yuri Ushakov announced Putin’s congratulations connected Gaza and Russia’s concerns complete US Tomahawk missiles being sent to Ukraine.

No ceasefire timeline surfaced, nevertheless advisor meetings were set, building connected Trump’s vexation from nan grounded August 2025 Alaska summit. That three-hour gathering ended up pinch zero concessions from Putin, which led to Trump swinging to Budapest, a tract considered earlier but scrapped for US soil. Experts pass nan war’s extremity depends connected leverage, not optics. 

Zelenskyy-Trump talks nexus to Putin warfare strategy

Zelenskyy’s White House sojourn connected Thursday, October 16, ties straight into nan Trump-Putin gathering announcement, pinch Trump readying to little him connected nan call. Zelenskyy is asking for Tomahawk missiles, tin of 2,500 km strikes into Russia. Putin called them “escalatory” during nan discussion, viewing them arsenic a threat to peace. Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, a Putin apologist, shouted Budapest arsenic “great news for peace,” contempt his EU assistance vetoes.

Risks and rewards successful Trump-Putin warfare diplomacy

Will nan Budapest acme extremity nan Ukraine war? Analysts foretell immoderate constricted progress, pinch 70 per cent doubting a speedy solution per caller polls. Trump is hoping to sail nan crest of nan activity pinch Gaza’s success, but Putin is apt to stall for concessions. Direct Trump-Putin talks consequence eroding NATO unity and emboldening Moscow, arsenic seen pinch Alaska’s flop. Yet, a post-war waste and acquisition revival, astatine pre-invasion levels, deed $30B, rather nan carrot dangling. Evelyn Farkas of nan McCain Institute cautions, “Putin wants a sphere of influence; Trump risks enabling it.” As warfare fatigue grows and wintertime approaches, nan Budapest meet could redefine alliances aliases deepen divides.