President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he plans to sit down with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hungary in the weeks ahead, following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington, D.C., on Friday.
Through a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump revealed that a gathering of “High-Level Advisors” spearheaded by Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled for next week, although the precise location remains undecided.
“President Putin and I have agreed to meet in Budapest, Hungary, to explore potential resolutions to the ongoing ‘inglorious’ conflict between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump stated. “Tomorrow, President Zelenskyy and I will convene in the Oval Office to discuss my recent conversation with President Putin, among other pressing issues. I am optimistic about the strides made during today’s phone call.”
Firefighters were seen working at the scene of an energy infrastructure facility struck by Russian missile and drone attacks overnight, amidst ongoing hostilities in Ukraine’s Poltava region on October 16, 2025. (Image provided by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Poltava region/Handout via REUTERS)
Trump mentioned that he and Putin engaged in an extended dialogue regarding U.S.-Russia trade, but notably omitted any discussion of the U.S. supplying Ukraine with advanced defense systems like Tomahawk missiles. This topic is reportedly a key reason for Zelenskyy’s visit to D.C. and the catalyst for Trump’s conversation with Putin.
Earlier in the week, Trump indicated that he needed to confer with Putin to gauge his stance on the potential deployment of Tomahawk missiles.
Acquiring Tomahawk missiles is a top priority for Zelenskyy, as the sophisticated weaponry would be able to reach far beyond Moscow and could change Ukraine’s ability to hit not only more of Russia’s military complex but its oil industry, which largely funds its war chest.
The announcement of the Trump-Putin meeting comes just hours after Russian missile and drone strikes pounded Ukrainian cities and energy sites in the early hours of Thursday morning.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy said more than 300 drones and 37 missiles, of which a “significant number of them ballistic” rained out across the country, hitting not only near the front lines but the western-central city of Vinnytsia.
Apartment buildings are damaged by Russian military strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in the frontline town of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk region, Ukraine Oct. 13, 2025. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Press Service of the 24th King Danylo Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout via REUTERS )
“There are wounded. Recovery efforts are underway everywhere. Emergency services are working,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Russians are also reported to be using “double terror” tactics by targeting firefighters and energy workers with Shahed drones carrying cluster munitions.
“This autumn, the Russians use every single day to strike at our energy infrastructure,” he added. “[Russian President Vladimir] Putin has turned a deaf ear to everything the world says, so the only language that can still get through to him is the language of pressure – pressure through sanctions and pressure through long-range capabilities.”
Zelenskyy is traveling to D.C. on Thursday to meet with Trump, as well as defense and energy officials, to discuss how to ramp up the pressure on Putin in an effort to counter his war ambitions in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (L) meets with US President Donald Trump (R) in Washington D.C., United States on Aug. 19, 2025. ( Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Trump told reporters this week that other defensive items, like more Patriot missiles, will be discussed in the Friday talks as well.
Trump has not confirmed whether he will give Ukraine the Tomahawk missiles, but he has increasingly voiced his frustration that Putin will not stop his war ambitions despite his efforts since re-entering the White House in January.
