Moscow Reveals Expectations for Upcoming Putin and Trump Summit in Budapest

Moscow expects that the upcoming meeting between President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump will offer an opportunity to move closer to peace in Ukraine, RIA Novosti reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

“First and foremost, the goal is to advance along the peaceful path of resolving the Ukrainian conflict. The meeting will also provide a chance to discuss our bilateral relations,”

Peskov said when asked what Moscow expects from the forthcoming Budapest summit.

Peskov: Kyiv’s Position Full of Contradictions

The Kremlin representative noted that the Ukrainian side’s stance on ending the conflict remains inconsistent, but Russia intends to continue working toward a settlement.

“We see rather contradictory statements coming out of Kyiv. The position of the Kyiv regime is full of contradictions, and this certainly does not help the peace process,”

Peskov stated, adding that Moscow’s position, as well as that of President Putin, remains “consistent and well known.”

He emphasized that Russia is maintaining ongoing communication with the United States and that “serious work” is underway.

Moscow Watching U.S. Position on Tomahawk Missiles

Peskov also said that Russia has not received any official notification from Washington regarding a decision not to supply Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, but confirmed that Moscow is carefully monitoring all related statements.

“There can be no official notifications on this matter; we are watching, listening, and hearing,”

the Kremlin spokesman told reporters.

Trump Ends Meeting with Zelensky Abruptly

Meanwhile, according to Axios, Donald Trump unexpectedly cut short his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House after about two and a half hours.

“I think we’re done here. Let’s see what happens next week,”

Trump reportedly said during the conversation with Zelensky on October 17.

Sources described the talks as tense, with one insider claiming the meeting “went poorly.” According to media reports, the U.S. president made several tough remarks, signaling his determination to resolve the Ukrainian conflict without supplying Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv.