Plans for U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet in Budapest collapsed this week after Trump proposed “freezing” the Russia-Ukraine war along current front lines.
“I don’t want to have a wasted meeting,” Trump said Tuesday, signaling no talks would happen soon. The failure marks another setback for peace efforts, following an unproductive summit in Alaska two months ago.
Trump, who once claimed he could end the war “in 24 hours,” has grown frustrated by the lack of progress ten months into his second term. His latest idea halting fighting where the battle lines stand and negotiating territory later gained backing from Ukraine and several European leaders, who urged an immediate ceasefire and accused Moscow of prolonging the conflict.
Russia swiftly rejected the plan. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reaffirmed Moscow’s demand for Ukraine’s disarmament and full withdrawal from the Donbas region. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia’s conditions “remain unchanged,” insisting that Ukraine cede occupied territories before any truce.
Trump’s stance has shifted repeatedly. He alternated between pressuring Kyiv to compromise and threatening new sanctions on Moscow. At times he has supported Ukrainian resistance, while at others he has floated land-for-peace deals.
With the Budapest meeting canceled, the war’s future remains uncertain. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s latest appeal for U.S. Tomahawk missiles was declined, as Trump urged Europe to shoulder more of the defense burden.
For now, the largest conflict in Europe since World War II continues without a clear path to peace.
