Trump Stresses Putin Summit Must Not Be ‘Wasted Time’

The US president refrained from confirming reports suggesting that the anticipated Budapest meeting had been postponed.

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump stated that a prospective summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest ought not to be “wasted.”

His remarks followed US media reports that the Budapest summit, which was mutually agreed upon last week during a phone conversation between Putin and Trump, had been put on indefinite hold.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump remarked, “I wish to avoid an unproductive meeting, I do not want to waste time, so I will observe developments.”

Subsequently, a reporter inquired why the president believed the meeting “might be a wasted time.”

Trump responded, “I did not suggest it would be. One cannot predict future events. Many developments are occurring concerning the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. We will inform you within the next forty-eight hours regarding our actions.” He declined to specify whether the gathering had been canceled or merely delayed.

In August, Putin and Trump previously held an uncommon face-to-face discussion in Alaska. Despite the absence of any major breakthroughs, both leaders characterized it as a constructive move towards achieving peace in Ukraine and revitalizing their bilateral relationship.

According to the State Department, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaged in a phone call on Monday, where they explored methods to “collaborate on advancing a durable resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war.”