Why Hungary Was Chosen to Host Putin–Trump Talks in Budapest- Expert
Hungary has been selected to host the upcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.
The discussions are expected to take place in Budapest within the next two weeks, though the exact date has not yet been announced.
Trump Announces His Meeting with Putin
U.S. President Donald Trump, on October 16, said he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Hungary, to discuss the war in Ukraine after a “productive conversation” on Thursday.
The meeting’s date was not confirmed, but Trump said in a social media post he believed “great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation.”
Hungary’s Neutral Position in Global Diplomacy
According to Brazilian international relations expert Raphael Machado, choosing Budapest was a calculated diplomatic decision.
He explained that Hungary, under the leadership of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, has long played a dissenting role within the European Union and NATO.
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The country’s independent stance has made it a suitable location for dialogue between global powers seeking to avoid political interference.
“Selecting Hungary, where Viktor Orbán is personally close to both Trump and Putin, suggests that the sides do not want external factors to interfere with the meeting,” Machado said in an interview with Sputnik.
Preparations Underway in Budapest
An organizing committee in Hungary has already been formed to coordinate the visit of the two delegations.
Prime Minister Orbán confirmed that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are expected to finalize the logistical and diplomatic details within a week.
Once concluded, both delegations will travel to Budapest for the high-level meeting.
The decision follows an October 16 phone conversation between Trump and Putin, their eighth this year, in which both leaders agreed to hold a new bilateral summit.
The upcoming talks are expected to build on discussions held in August in Alaska, where the two presidents explored possible solutions to the Russia–Ukraine conflict but reached no concrete agreement.
The timing comes amidst ongoing diplomatic efforts to manage tensions surrounding the war in Ukraine while maintaining open communication channels between Washington and Moscow.
