White House eyes Budapest for Trump’s possible trilateral meeting with Zelenskyy and Putin

The US Secret Service is preparing for the summit in the Central European nation, with the capital city emerging as a first choice for the White House, Politico reported

By: Express Web Desk

Updated: August 20, 2025 01:42 AM IST

2 min read

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo)

The White House is looking at Budapest as a possible venue for a trilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing a Trump administration official and a person close to the administration.

According to the report, the US Secret Service has started preparing for the summit in the Hungarian capital, which has emerged as the first choice for the administration.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked several times about the location of any such meeting but declined to comment. She did not address reports that Budapest was under consideration, or that Moscow had been suggested by the Kremlin.

Politico noted that Budapest could be a difficult choice for Zelenskyy, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has long been seen as a close ally of Putin.

Putin yet to confirm trilateral talks

Though Trump and Zelenskyy have spoken about the trilateral meeting, there is no confirmation from the Kremlin if Putin has agreed to the same.

On Tuesday, Trump warned that Putin would face a “rough situation” if he did not cooperate in the peace process “I hope President Putin is going to be good and if he’s not, that’s going to be a rough situation,” Trump said.

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