Zelensky Expresses Conditional Readiness for Hungary Summit with Putin, Trump Amid Venue Concerns

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed willingness to participate in an upcoming summit in Budapest alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, contingent on receiving an invitation. Zelensky supports a diplomatic format involving either three-way talks or shuttle diplomacy but voiced strong reservations about Hungary as the venue, citing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's pro-Russian stance and efforts to block Ukraine's interests. Zelensky criticized Orban's influence as unhelpful to peace efforts and highlighted the negative historical context of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which failed to provide security assurances to Ukraine. Despite these concerns, Zelensky remains open to negotiations and has proposed involving neutral countries such as Turkey, Switzerland, and the Vatican to ensure balanced dialogue. The Ukrainian leader conveyed these views to US officials, emphasizing that any summit’s goal should be to achieve a meaningful end to the ongoing conflict. Overall, Zelensky's position balances cautious engagement with skepticism about Hungary's role, underscoring Ukraine's desire for constructive peace talks.