Budapest Summit Blocked by Russia's Unwillingness
Earlier, the US leader said that holding a Russian-American summit continues to be discussed.
Key Obstacle to Summit
WASHINGTON, November 7. The main obstacle to US President Donald Trump’s meeting with Vladimir Putin in Budapest is Russia's unwillingness to halt the conflict in Ukraine, Trump said during a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House.
“The basic dispute is they just don't want to stop yet. And I think they will,” Trump said when asked what prevents the summit from taking place in Budapest.
Summit Discussions and Postponement
On October 16, after a telephone conversation with Putin, Trump announced that they had agreed to meet soon in the Hungarian capital. However, the summit was postponed because the parties could not align their positions sufficiently to produce meaningful progress on the Ukrainian conflict settlement.
Both Moscow and Washington stated that the meeting will occur when the right conditions are set.
Statements from Russian Officials
On Friday, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov remarked that a Budapest summit will eventually be necessary for both sides. Still, he emphasized that careful preparations should precede the leaders’ meeting.
“The Budapest summit would be required by both sides at a certain stage, but the leaders' meeting should be preceded by scrupulous work.”
Author’s summary: The Budapest summit remains stalled primarily due to Russia's reluctance to halt fighting in Ukraine, with both sides awaiting better conditions and thorough preparations before meeting.