Friday, 12 September, 2025
London, UK
Friday, September 12, 2025 12:42 PM
scattered clouds 19.0°C
Condition: Scattered clouds
Humidity: 56%
Wind Speed: 27.8 km/h

White House eyes Budapest for peace talks with Zelenskyy and Putin

The White House is planning for a possible trilateral meeting between the U.S., Russian and Ukrainian presidents in the Hungarian capital of Budapest as the next step in negotiating an end to the years-long war, according to a Trump administration official and a person close to the administration.

The U.S. Secret Service is preparing for the summit in the Central European nation led by Prime Minister Victor Orbán, who has been close with President Donald Trump since the American president’s first term in office.

A spokesperson for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While the Secret Service often scouts multiple locations and the ultimate venue could change, Budapest is emerging as a first choice for the White House, said the two people, both granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. Russian President Vladimir Putin told Trump he preferred Moscow and French President Emmanuel Macron pushed for Geneva as ideal meeting spots. Not to be left out, the Swiss foreign minister promised “immunity” to Putin for an outstanding war crimes warrant if the nation known for neutrality was chosen for peace talks.

Hungary would be an uncomfortable choice for Ukraine as it harkens back to the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which the U.S., the United Kingdom and Russia promised to uphold Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and respect for its border in exchange for relinquishing its nuclear weapons. Putin’s 2014 assault on Ukraine proved the agreement meaningless when none of the signatories provided military forces to counter the attacks.

LP Staff Writers

Writers at Lord’s Press come from a range of professional backgrounds, including history, diplomacy, heraldry, and public administration. Many publish anonymously or under initials—a practice that reflects the publication’s long-standing emphasis on discretion and editorial objectivity. While they bring expertise in European nobility, protocol, and archival research, their role is not to opine, but to document. Their focus remains on accuracy, historical integrity, and the preservation of events and individuals whose significance might otherwise go unrecorded.

Categories

Follow

    Newsletter

    Subscribe to receive your complimentary login credentials and unlock full access to all features and stories from Lord’s Press.

    As a journal of record, Lord’s Press remains freely accessible—thanks to the enduring support of our distinguished partners and patrons. Subscribing ensures uninterrupted access to our archives, special reports, and exclusive notices.

    LP is free thanks to our Sponsors

    Privacy Overview

    Privacy & Cookie Notice

    This website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and to help us understand how our content is accessed and used. Cookies are small text files stored in your browser that allow us to recognise your device upon return, retain your preferences, and gather anonymised usage statistics to improve site performance.

    Under EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we process this data based on your consent. You will be prompted to accept or customise your cookie preferences when you first visit our site.

    You may adjust or withdraw your consent at any time via the cookie settings link in the website footer. For more information on how we handle your data, please refer to our full Privacy Policy