A new meeting between Putin and Trump is scheduled. Answers to the main questions

After a telephone conversation between the presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, which took place on the evening of October 16, it was announced that their personal meeting would take place, and Budapest was chosen as the venue for this. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has already announced on social media that the country has begun active preparations for the summit of the high-level delegations of Russia and the United States. The answers to the main questions about the upcoming meeting are in the Izvestia article.

Where will the meeting between Putin and Trump take place?

• Hungary has three venues for organizing high-level meetings of delegations. Most likely, Viktor Orban will receive the heads of state at his official residence, the Carmelite Compound, on the territory of the former Carmelite monastery. In 2019, he met Vladimir Putin at this venue, and in 2024— former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

• The Pushkash Arena stadium is also a traditional venue for meetings with foreign delegations — it was here that the informal EU summit was held in 2024. Another venue for organizing high-level meetings is the Varkert Bazaar architectural complex on Castle Hill in Buda, where major forums and speeches by Orban himself are held in front of the public.

In a friendly way: what is known about the meeting between Putin and Trump in Budapest

Experts told what can be expected from the negotiations of the leaders of the states.

Why choose Hungary?

• The choice of the Hungarian capital as the venue for the meeting between the two leaders was proposed by Trump and immediately supported by the Russian leader. This European country was probably chosen, among other things, because the negotiations will discuss ways to resolve the Ukrainian conflict, which is unfolding near its borders.

Hungary occupies a special place because it pursues an independent policy compared to other EU countries and advocates the preservation of economic and diplomatic ties between Europe and Russia. Throughout the conflict, this country has called for peaceful negotiations and has not supported attempts to put pressure on Russia by force, either through sanctions or through sending weapons to Ukraine. In addition, the positions of Russia and Hungary agree on the issue of protecting their citizens from oppression in Ukraine.

• The US president openly expresses his sympathy for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is one of the few European leaders who has found common ground with Trump. Trump and Orban are united by conservative views, a pragmatic approach and a desire to primarily defend the interests of their citizens.

Grandees in Budapest: what to expect from a new meeting between Putin and Trump

Before the conversation with Zelensky, the US president called the Russian leader to check his watch.

• Orban's choice of Budapest as a meeting place for the presidents of major world powers is an element of prestige and underlines the authority of the Hungarian Prime Minister on the eve of his upcoming elections. Moreover, the fact that Hungary is becoming part of a direct dialogue between Russia and the United States will demonstrate to the European Union that the country plays an important role in international politics.

Is it safe to hold the summit in Hungary?

• The date of the meeting of the leaders is still unknown, this and other details will be discussed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Hungary has already stated that it is ready to ensure the security of the negotiations and provide guarantees of safe entry and exit for the Russian president.

• The most difficult issue is to ensure a safe air corridor for the Russian president's plane. Hungary is mostly (with the exception of Serbia) surrounded by NATO countries that are allies of Ukraine and take an aggressive stance towards Russia. Therefore, a visit to Budapest is possible only with guarantees from the United States as the leading NATO state and reliable military cover from Russia.

Meeting on the banks of the Danube: why Trump and Putin chose Budapest

Hungary warmly welcomed the decision to hold a meeting between the two leaders

• Two flight routes are likely. The first is via the Black Sea: Moscow – Sochi – Black Sea along Turkey – Turkey – Bulgaria or Greece – Serbia – Budapest. The second is via the Caspian Sea: Moscow – Caspian Sea – Azerbaijan – Turkey – Bulgaria or Greece – Serbia – Budapest. In both cases, it is necessary to resolve the issue of the passage between Turkey and Serbia, which is surrounded by NATO countries, including Bulgaria and Greece. Presumably, it is here that the guarantees of the NATO leader country, the United States, or even the escort of their fighter will be used to avoid possible emergencies.

• Experts do not rule out a possible change of venue for the summit of the leaders of the United States and Russia. Alternative venues may be the states of the Arab world — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates or Qatar. China and Belarus are also among the possible negotiating platforms.

What will be the composition of the delegation?

• The countries will most likely be represented at the Budapest meeting by the same people who participated in the talks between Putin and Trump in Alaska. In addition to the Presidents themselves and their closest aides, the delegation may include foreign ministers, defense ministers, and those responsible for economic cooperation.

• On the Russian side, the most likely participants are Yuri Ushakov, Assistant to the President of Russia for International Policy, Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, who is responsible for economic cooperation. On the part of the United States, experts expect the participation of the US special Envoy to the Middle East, Stephen Witkoff, who previously managed to hold successful negotiations with Russia on the Ukrainian conflict. But the participation of the US Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, who openly adheres to pro-Ukrainian views, remains questionable. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President Jay Dee Vance can also be expected in the American delegation.

How did the contacts between the presidents of Russia and the United States go before?

• The telephone conversation between Putin and Trump on October 16 was the eighth this year. The first contacts between the leaders of the two countries took place on February 12, when the first steps towards resolving the Ukrainian conflict and restoring diplomatic contacts were outlined. At subsequent meetings in Riyadh, the two countries' delegations discussed the possibility of a truce and prisoner exchange. The official face-to-face meeting between Putin and Trump took place on August 15 in Anchorage, Alaska. Prior to that, the last meeting of the two heads of state was in Geneva in June 2021, when Joe Biden was President of the United States.

During the preparation of the material, Izvestia interviewed:

• Alexey Zudin, a political scientist and senior lecturer at MGIMO University of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation;
• political scientist Alexander Dudchak;
• Candidate of Political Sciences, Professor of the Academy of Labor and Social Relations Pavel Feldman;
• political scientist Alexander Asafov;
• Head of the Department of Political Science and Sociology of the Russian University of Economics. Plekhanov by Andrey Koshkin;
• John Varoli, an American political scientist and former NYT journalist.