Trump says to meet Putin in Hungary

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said Thursday he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Hungary, for talks aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, following a phone conversation between the two leaders.

"I have just concluded my telephone conversation with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, and it was a very productive one," said Trump on Truth Social.

"We also spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over," he said.

"I believe great progress was made with today's telephone conversation," he added.

Trump said the two countries agreed to hold a high-level advisors' meeting next week, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio leading the US delegation, adding that the 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," Trump said.

The phone conversation came one day ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's scheduled visit to the White House.

Trump and Putin met in the US state of Alaska in August, but no deal was reached. In late September, Trump said on social media that he believes Ukraine, with the support of the European Union and NATO, "is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form."