In diplomacy, timing is everything. Putin managed to exploit his latest phone call with Donald Trump in the best possible way, as he not only managed to schedule a new meeting with the American president, but also spoke with him one day before the Zelensky-Trump tete-a-tete, which is scheduled for 8:00 PM (Greek time) at the White House. According to a CNN report citing Russian officials, the phone conversation between the two leaders lasted two hours and was characterized as “positive and productive” and conducted in “an atmosphere of trust.”
Read: Trump-Putin meeting in Budapest: “Could happen within the next two weeks,” says the Kremlin
What Putin said about Tomahawk missiles
The Russian president aimed to halt scenarios of Tomahawk missile supplies from the US to Ukraine, which could change the dynamics of the war.
Meanwhile, Putin reportedly said that Tomahawk missiles – which have the capability to strike major Russian cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg – would not have a significant impact on the battlefield.
He emphasized that they would only harm US-Russia relations, which Trump values highly.
According to a Kremlin advisor, Putin also praised Trump as a peacemaker in the Middle East and beyond.
The Putin-Trump tete-a-tete in Budapest
Additionally, the two men discussed economic issues, and most importantly, a second summit was scheduled, this time in Budapest, where the end of the war in Ukraine could be discussed again, if not agreed upon. The exact timing of the meeting was not set, with some reports suggesting it could take place within the next two weeks.
All this inevitably draws comparisons to the failed summit in Alaska a few months ago, when Trump hosted Putin but achieved no tangible results in his effort for a peace agreement in Ukraine.
But now, emboldened by his achievements in mediating the Gaza ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages, Trump signals that his success in the Middle East, despite the adversities, will contribute to ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Going to Ukraine summit with low expectations
How President Trump will achieve this remains unclear. The Kremlin has shown no willingness to compromise.
Despite increasing battlefield losses and intensifying Ukrainian drone attacks on its energy infrastructure, which have caused fuel shortages across the country, Russia continues to rule out ending the war in Ukraine until it achieves its objectives.
These include gaining control over vast areas of annexed Ukrainian territory not yet conquered and imposing strict military and political restrictions on post-war Ukraine, which would essentially subordinate Kyiv to Moscow’s will.
How Ukrainians commented on Putin’s return to dialogue
Ukrainian officials gathered in Washington say that the discussion about Tomahawk missiles is what forced Putin back to dialogue.
But the thinking in Moscow is that the mere prospect of progress in peace talks may be enough to entice Trump, who is eager for a deal, to abandon his military threats.
