A planned meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, ahead of a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, has been delayed indefinitely, CNN reported. The summit was supposed to take place in Budapest, Hungary, next week.
Despite this, Russia announced on Monday that Lavrov and Rubio had a "constructive" phone conversation. Russian media reported that the call was part of the preparations for the meeting between the two presidents.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov and Rubio discussed potential steps to follow up on what was agreed during a phone call between Putin and Trump on October 16. The call was meant to help move forward with peace efforts in the Ukraine war. The US State Department also confirmed the phone call, with Rubio emphasizing that this was a chance for Moscow and Washington to work together to end the conflict in Ukraine.
However, after the call, CNN sources reported that officials felt Russia's stance on the war had not changed enough to move forward with the summit. Rubio and Lavrov disagreed on how to end the conflict, and it is now unlikely that Rubio will recommend that the meeting between Trump and Putin happen as planned next week. It's possible that Lavrov and Rubio could speak again this week to try and find a way forward.
The planned summit was confirmed after a phone call between Trump and Putin on October 16, where both leaders agreed to meet again this year in Budapest. The two had previously met in Anchorage, Alaska, in August.
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban expressed his support for the summit, stating that it was crucial for Hungary's economy, which had been severely affected by the war in Ukraine. High energy prices and inflation had hurt Hungary's growth, but Orban believes peace will help restore economic stability.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is willing to attend the summit if invited. However, he is cautious about the meeting being held in Budapest because Orban has good relations with Moscow and has been critical of Kyiv. Zelenskyy also mentioned that he had a tense discussion with Trump on October 17, and he stressed the need for the US to put more pressure on Russia.
Zelenskyy warned against a repeat of the "Budapest scenario," referring to the 1994 Budapest Memorandum. This agreement gave Ukraine security assurances in exchange for giving up its nuclear weapons after the Soviet Union collapsed. Zelenskyy is concerned that a similar agreement could put Ukraine at risk again.
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