After Phone Call, Trump Says He Will Meet Putin In Budapest
US President Donald Trump (right) meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska in August.
US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, have agreed to meet in Budapest following a phone call held a day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to visit Washington.
"We agreed that there will be a meeting of our High Level Advisors, next week... President Putin and I will then meet in an agreed upon location, Budapest, Hungary," Trump wrote on his Truth Social page on October 16.
Trump added that the meeting in Budapest is "to see if we can bring this 'inglorious' War, between Russia and Ukraine, to an end."
He also said that the US delegation, which will negotiate with the Russian side ahead of his talks with Putin, will be led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, adding that the location for these initial talks has yet to be determined.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he expects his meeting with Putin will take place "within two weeks" and will be hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Both the Kremlin and the White House praised the phone call between Trump and Putin, calling it "good" and "productive."
Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov said the conversation was "extremely frank and trustful," adding that the time and place for any meeting would be discussed during a phone call between Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the coming days.
The phone call between the two leaders came a day ahead of Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy, who said he hopes the momentum in the Middle East peace process will help end the war in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy posted on Telegram after arriving in Washington on October 16, saying it appeared that Russia was keen to resume dialogue "upon hearing of Tomahawks," referring to Trump's suggestion that he might provide Kyiv with those missiles.
In his comments to reporters at the White House, Trump said he mentioned Tomahawks to Putin during their call.
"I did actually say, would you mind if I gave a couple of thousands of Tomahawks to your opposition?" Trump said, adding that Putin "didn’t like the idea."
Trump said earlier that he and Zelenskyy would meet in the Oval Office on October 17 to discuss his conversation with Putin and other topics. The talks are expected to include discussions on Ukraine's air defenses and long-range strike capabilities.
Trump has recently expressed his frustration with Putin and Moscow's war in Ukraine, saying on October 15 that the Russian president does not appear to want to end the conflict, which makes him look "very bad."
Here Is What Tomahawk Missiles Could Do For Ukraine
1/9An early iteration of the Tomahawk missile being tested over New Mexico in 1976.
The Tomahawk was developed in the 1970s amid Cold War tensions with the Soviet Union. The cruise missile is designed to fly long distances low enough to evade most radar while maintaining the speed of a passenger jet.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv.
2/9Combination photos show a Tomahawk detonating above a jet during testing in 1986.
The 5.5-meter-long missile is fitted with a warhead weighing nearly half a ton and can fly around 1,600 kilometers.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv.
3/9The Tomahawk's combination of range, speed, and destructive power makes the weapon unlike anything currently fielded by Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv.
4/9Each missile is equipped with complex internal navigation systems, and costs around $2 million.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv.
5/9A Tomahawk cruising alongside a US Navy F-14 above southern California in 2002.
Kyiv has repeatedly called for access to long-range US missiles. In 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hinted that Kyiv had requested Tomahawks. A White House official at the time reportedly called the request “totally unfeasible.”
US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv.
6/9British Navy personnel handle a Tomahawk missile at a naval base in the Indian Ocean in November 2001.
US President Donald Trump has voiced increasing frustration with Moscow over faltering peace negotiations. The potential supply of Tomahawks was reportedly revived recently amid the White House seeking to make the Kremlin “feel the pain” of the war it started.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv.
7/9A submarine-launched Tomahawk hits a target on San Clemente Island, a US Navy training and weapons-testing site off the Southern California coast, during a test in November 1998.
During a phone call in early July, President Trumpreportedly asked Zelenskyy, “Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? [...] Can you hit St. Petersburg too?” The Ukrainian president is reported to have replied: “Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.” On October 6, Trump indicated he was close to making a decision on allowing Kyiv access to Tomahawks but told reporters he would "ask some questions," about Ukraine's plans for the weapon, adding "I'm not looking to escalate that war."
US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv.
8/9A US Navy vessel launches a Tomahawk missile in the Mediterranean Sea in March 2011.
It is unclear how Ukraine would handle the weapon, which is usually launched from naval ships or submarines. Tomahawks can be launched from some aircraft but a Ukrainian official acknowledged to reporters that Tomahawks, “are not easy to use” without strategic bomber aircraft, which Kyiv does not possess.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv.
9/9US Typhon systems, which are capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Newly developed ground-launchers exist for Tomahawks, but the technology is currently only fielded by the United States. Ground-launch systems for the cruise missile began to be developed after the collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019. The US-Russia agreement banned ground-launched missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 6 that he had "sort of made a decision" about allowing Ukraine access to Tomahawk cruise missiles. If Washington does supply the advanced weapon, here is how it could change the battlefield dynamic between Moscow and Kyiv.
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Trump and Zelenskyy spoke twice over the weekend amid intensifying discussions about a potential US decision to provide long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. The Kremlin has warned against supplying Kyiv with the weapon.
Trump has not ruled out doing so, but on October 16 said the United States can't "deplete" its own Tomahawk stocks.
The weapons have a range of up to 2,500 kilometers and can be equipped with nuclear warheads. Trump described them as a "vicious, offensive, and incredibly destructive weapon," adding, "Nobody wants Tomahawks shot at them."
In his comments following the call between Trump and Putin, Ushakov said Putin told Trump that supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine would not change the situation on the battlefield but would harm peace efforts and damage ties between Russia and the United States.
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![A submarine-launched Tomahawk hits a target on San Clemente Island, a US Navy training and weapons-testing site off the Southern California coast, during a test in November 1998.<br><br>During a phone call in early July, President Trump<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/b66f03b5-e295-4f8c-92ba-516a527d588c" class="wsw__a" dir="ltr"><strong>reportedly asked</strong></a> Zelenskyy, “Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? [...] Can you hit St. Petersburg too?” The Ukrainian president is reported to have replied: “Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.” On October 6, Trump indicated he was close to making a decision on allowing Kyiv access to Tomahawks but told reporters he would "ask some questions," about Ukraine's plans for the weapon, adding "I'm not looking to escalate that war."](https://gdb.rferl.org/a036e9d4-3ac5-4f2d-9386-08ddc37e21a1_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
