Lavrov and Rubio Prepare for High-Stakes Putin-Trump Summit in Budapest

On a call Monday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio talked about the upcoming summit involving Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, as confirmed by both parties.

Rubio highlighted the significance of the imminent discussions as a chance for Moscow and Washington to work together toward achieving a lasting resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to a statement from Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously expressed his willingness to participate if he received an invitation; however, neither Russia nor the United States mentioned him in their communications.

The Kremlin indicated that it currently has “no details” regarding Zelensky’s potential participation.

Diplomatic initiatives aimed at resolving Russia’s invasion, which has persisted for over three years, have stagnated since the peace talks held between Trump and Putin in Alaska last August.

Last week, they announced plans to reconvene in Budapest for a second round of discussions, but it remains uncertain if Zelensky, who was excluded from the last meeting, will be present.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed support for the designated summit on Monday, adding that it is important for Ukrainians and Europeans to be included in the dialogue.