Russian State Media Accuses Europe and Western Press of Sabotaging Putin-Trump Summit Preparations

Russian state television has accused European nations and Western media of hindering the preparations for a proposed summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, which aims to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Trump abruptly cast doubt on the Budapest summit, expressing his desire to avoid a «wasted» meeting. This decision followed reports that Russia had refused to ease its stringent conditions for resolving its invasion during pre-summit discussions with American officials.

State-run Channel One began its Wednesday segment on the summit by quoting Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, who stated that “the pro-war elite in Europe and its media are doing everything they can to block the Russia-U.S. summit.”

However, the investigative news organization Agentstvo pointed out that in the coverage by Channel One, Szijjártó’s mention of “the pro-war elite” was modified to include the word “European,” which he had not originally used.

His original statement was: “The pro-war political elite and their media consistently act this way in the lead-up to significant events that could determine war or peace.”

In response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s upcoming trips to Brussels and London, where EU leaders are expected to unite in support of Ukraine, Rossia 1 TV claimed that the West aimed to “freeze” the conflict rather than pursue a genuine peace agreement.

“A presenter on Rossia 1 stated that Western media had reported that Brussels and Kyiv were preparing to unveil their own peace initiative — one that does not address the fundamental issues but seeks to freeze the hostilities,” the channel reported.

Moscow argues that the “root causes” of its large-scale invasion include Ukraine’s aspirations toward NATO and EU membership, NATO’s supposed breach of promises not to expand eastward, and Kyiv’s alleged discrimination against Russian speakers.

Many of the Kremlin’s demands, especially regarding territorial arrangements, are unacceptable to Kyiv.

Furthermore, Russian channel NTV claimed that “foreign media are intentionally misrepresenting information to obstruct the negotiations,” labeling claims of the Budapest summit’s cancellation as “disinformation.”

Since Trump took office in January, Moscow has increasingly portrayed Kyiv’s European allies as its primary adversary and the main hurdle to achieving peace.

Earlier this month, Putin stated that the responsibility for ending the conflict primarily rests with Europe, which he accused of exacerbating tensions.

Trump, on the other hand, has expressed growing frustration with Putin’s reluctance to agree to a ceasefire after nearly four years of war, despite numerous diplomatic efforts and their summit in Alaska in August.

When asked about Trump’s recent comments regarding the Budapest talks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “Neither President Trump nor President Putin want to waste time.”

Peskov emphasized that the current standstill requires high-level intervention, though he stressed that such engagement must be thoroughly prepared.

On Wednesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated that “preparations for a summit are ongoing,” noting that these preparations “can take various forms.”

Ryabkov also confirmed that there have been no plans made for a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. counterpart Marco Rubio in Budapest.

“There are no agreements in place. So I caution those who might start reporting about any cancellations — don’t,” he said.