The coveted trilateral meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, in the presence of US President Donald Trump, may take place soon in Budapest. White House officials familiar with the development hinted at the aforementioned possible venue.
According to Politico, officials of the US Secret Service have started preparations for the meeting. It is believed that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is a trusted ally of US President Donald Trump.
When reporters tried to confirm the reports, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt neither confirmed nor denied them.
Politico learnt that Russia wants the meeting to be held in Moscow while French President Emmanuel Macron has suggested Geneva as the venue.
Earlier, US White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that US President Donald Trump ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees.
Leavitt, during her press briefing, said that other options, however, remain open, including the skies.
“The president has definitively stated US boots will not be on the ground in Ukraine, but we can certainly help in the coordination and perhaps provide other means of security guarantees to our European allies.
The president understands that security guarantees are crucial to ensuring a lasting peace. He has directed his national security team to coordinate with our friends in Europe and also to continue to cooperate and discuss these matters with Ukraine and Russia as well,” she said.
