Trump prepares summit with Putin in Budapest for peace in Ukraine – Rezazade

US President Donald Trump said that he will meet with Vladimir Putin in Budapest in the coming weeks to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. He announced this after a phone call with the Russian leader, which he called “productive”.

The statement came just a few days after Trump achieved a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which many perceived as a diplomatic breakthrough.

According to international expert, first vice president of the Iranian opposition in Washington Ali Reza Rezazade, this step indicates Trump’s ambitions to turn the United States into a global peacemaker that simultaneously influences both the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

“Trump seeks to leave a historical mark — to stop two major wars at once. His strategy is not to drag the US into conflicts, but to use the power of American diplomacy to force the parties to peace,” Rezazade explained.

The meeting in Budapest is expected to be attended by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has long positioned himself as a mediator between Washington and Moscow. At the same time, experts note that the choice of Budapest is symbolic: Orban is the most pro-Russian leader of the EU, and the summit itself may become a political test for the future security architecture in Europe.

Rezazade emphasizes that Trump is trying to use the diplomatic pause to strengthen his own positions before the American elections and show his ability to achieve peace where others have only deepened the conflict.

“He sees that Putin is losing the strategic initiative, and the Russian economy is exhausted. Trump wants to enter this crisis as the main arbiter — to offer a deal that is beneficial primarily to the US. But for Ukraine, this could be both an opportunity and a risk if the negotiations follow the Russian scenario,” the expert noted.

Ahead is a complex diplomatic triangle: Trump, Putin, and Zelensky. The Ukrainian president has already asked Washington for the supply of long-range Tomahawk missiles, while the Kremlin calls it a “provocation.” According to Rezazade, this contradiction could become a lever for influencing the negotiations.

“Trump wants peace, but his vision is an agreement that he can present as an “American victory.” The only question is whether he can find a balance between the interests of the United States, Ukraine, and Russia. History will show whether Budapest will become a place for a new diplomatic breakthrough or another compromise at the expense of Ukrainian sovereignty,” Ali Reza Rezade concluded.