Russian Foreign Minister: "Budapest Summit Depends on the U.S."
The Kremlin announced on October 26 (local time) that there is a shared understanding that a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump should not be postponed for too long.
According to RIA Novosti, Reuters, and other outlets, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Russian state broadcaster journalist Pavel Zarubin, "There is an understanding that it would be best to meet without unnecessary delay."
Spokesperson Peskov explained, "President Trump was the first to suggest that holding a summit now would be meaningless, and President Putin supported that position."
Regarding the two presidents' agreement to hold a summit in Budapest, Hungary, which was later postponed, he stated, "No specific date was ever proposed," and argued that describing it as a 'cancellation' is incorrect. However, on October 22, President Trump had stated, "I canceled the meeting with President Putin. It did not feel appropriate."
Peskov emphasized, "The two leaders cannot meet just for the sake of meeting. It could be a waste of time, and both are well aware of that." He added that both presidents have instructed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lay the groundwork for the summit.
Peskov also commented on the U.S. sanctions imposed on Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft, describing them as "unfriendly measures." Nevertheless, he said, "President Trump made remarks with various nuances, but we still need to focus on our own interests," adding, "Our interest lies in building good relations with all countries, including the United States."
On the same day, Minister Lavrov revealed in an interview with the Hungarian YouTube channel 'Ultrahang,' published on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website, that he had spoken by phone with Secretary Rubio on October 20 to discuss follow-up measures after the Alaska summit, but did not mention any new meeting.
Regarding whether the Budapest summit will be held soon, he stated that the meeting was proposed by the United States and Russia accepted the invitation, adding, "Everything depends on the proposer."
When asked whether the conditions for negotiations with Ukraine include flexibility regarding the territories of Donbas (Donetsk and Luhansk), Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson-currently controlled by Ukraine-Lavrov responded, "The territories mentioned are historically Russian territory." He said, "What matters is not the territory itself, but the people living there," claiming that residents of those territories decided to join Russia through a vote. Russia incorporated occupied areas such as Donbas into its territory through referendums in 2022, but this has not been recognized by the international community.
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