"Always a chance" for meeting with Putin, Trump says after Budapest summit called off
US President Donald Trump expressed hope on Friday for another meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin after their planned summit in Budapest was canceled last month.
Hosting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House, Trump responded to a reporter's question saying,
"There is always a chance."
Later in the Cabinet Room, Trump explained the reason the Budapest meeting did not happen:
"The Russians don't want to stop yet."He added,
"I think they will. I think it's taken a big toll on Russia, big toll on both countries, obviously, but it's taken a big toll."
When asked if he wanted Budapest to remain the location for a future meeting with Putin, Trump said,
"I'd like to keep it in Hungary, in Budapest. That meeting, it turned out I didn't want to do that meeting because I didn't think anything was going to be happening of significance. But if we have it, I'd like to do it in Budapest, yeah, it'd be good."
Trump and Putin last met on August 15 in Alaska and decided to plan the Budapest talks after consultations between their top diplomats.
Summary: President Trump remains open to meeting Putin again, preferring Budapest as the venue, despite the previous summit’s cancellation and current tensions affecting both countries.