Russian President Vladimir Putin recently praised the Donald Trump administration’s “energetic” efforts to stop the crisis in Ukraine and hinted that both Russia and the US could strike an agreement on nuclear arms control.
Earlier this month, both leaders met in Alaska for meticulous discussions on a number of pressing matters. Just days later, US President Trump met his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky for a detailed meeting – also joined by other leaders from across Europe.
The US and Russia agreed to limit their arsenals of nuclear arms under a 2011 treaty. Both countries had 7 years to meet defined limits on the number of deployed intercontinental-range nuclear arms they can keep. But agreement is due to expire in February next year.
Budapest a possible location for Putin-Zelensky meeting
It has just been reported by the BBC’s US partner CBS that the capital of Hungary, Budapest, is one of multiple locations being considered for a possible meeting featuring the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine.
Is a peace deal on the table? The media house has reported that Hungary has expressed its openness to hosting the discussions – besides highlighting that in his phone call featuring Trump, the Russian President agreed to meet his Ukrainian counterpart.
The US could also host such a meeting but it is possibly not under serious consideration at the time. Donald Trump hopes that the leaders of both countries can “engage in direct diplomacy”. The brutal crisis in Ukraine has been raging for more than three years already.
