Russia doesn’t want to stop war in Ukraine yet — Trump on canceling meeting with Putin
U.S. President Donald Trump explained that his meeting with Vladimir Putin did not take place in Hungary because Russia was unwilling to stop its war against Ukraine, but expressed confidence that it can be resolved "in the near future."
He made this statement at a press conference with Viktor Orbán at the White House, according to Censor.NET.
Possibility of a Trump–Putin meeting in Budapest
When asked whether a meeting between the U.S. President and Russia’s leader could still take place in Hungary, Trump said there is "always a chance I’ll visit Budapest."
"Viktor understands Putin very well; he knows him well. And I feel I’ll let you say what you think. But I think Viktor feels we’re going to get that war ended in the not-too-distant future," he said.
Trump also stressed he would like to hold a meeting with Putin specifically in Budapest.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said his country wants to join U.S. "peace efforts" to bring an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
On Russia’s war against Ukraine
President Trump said a previously planned meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Budapest was canceled because Russia is unwilling to stop the war.
The U.S. politician accused his predecessor Joe Biden of having "pushed" Russia into the war.
"The war is doing great harm to Russia — losses have reached 7,000 soldiers a week. There’s also the economic issue. We’re not spending money directly, the funding goes through NATO. If I had been president, this war wouldn’t have happened, but now we have to end it… Biden actually pushed for this war, you understand? No one believes it, but that’s just what happened. And now look at what has happened, look at what has happened to Ukraine. It’s a much smaller country; many people have been killed," Trump stressed.
At the same time, Viktor Orbán stated that the view that Ukraine can win on the battlefield "is a misguided vision of the situation."
Cancellation of the Trump–Putin meeting
- On October 21, media outlets, citing White House sources, reported that planning for a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Budapest had been "put on hold."
- On 22 October, US President Donald Trump cancelled the planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that was to take place in Budapest.
