Budapest Summit Blocked by Russia's Unwillingness
The main barrier to a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Budapest is Russia's refusal to stop the fighting in Ukraine, Trump said during talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House.
"The basic dispute is they just don't want to stop yet. And I think they will," Trump said when asked what prevents the summit from happening in Budapest.
Earlier, Trump noted that discussions about a Russian-American summit are ongoing. On October 16, after a phone call with Putin, Trump announced they had agreed to meet soon in Budapest.
However, the summit was later postponed because both sides could not agree on conditions to achieve significant progress in resolving the Ukrainian conflict. Moscow and Washington stated the meeting would take place once the right circumstances are established.
Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that the Budapest summit will be necessary for both parties at some point, but it must be preceded by thorough preparation.
President Trump emphasized that the lack of Russian willingness to cease fighting remains the main obstacle to holding the summit.
Author's summary: The planned Budapest summit between Trump and Putin is delayed primarily due to Russia's unwillingness to halt hostilities in Ukraine, with both sides awaiting appropriate conditions for meaningful talks.