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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he is prepared to join a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in Hungary, provided he receives an invitation.
The proposed meeting is part of Trump’s ongoing diplomatic effort to broker a peace agreement to end the three-and-a-half-year conflict following Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Zelenskyy told reporters that whether the meeting involves all three leaders or is structured through “shuttle diplomacy” (where Trump meets with each leader separately), he would agree to participate if invited to Budapest.
However, the Ukrainian president sharply criticised the choice of Hungary as the location, noting the country’s strained relationship with Kyiv and its pro-Kremlin stance within the European Union.
He expressed doubt that Hungarian leader Viktor Orban could offer a balanced or positive contribution to the peace process, especially considering that Hungary has “blocked Ukraine everywhere.”
Kyiv has previously suggested neutral countries like Türkiye, Switzerland, and the Vatican for such a three-way meeting.
Zelenskyy also cautioned against a repeat of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which saw Ukraine surrender its nuclear weapons in exchange for security assurances that ultimately failed to prevent the Russian invasion.
