A US official has directly contradicted President Trump, stating Tuesday that there are “no plans” for him to meet Vladimir Putin in the “immediate future.” Trump had recently claimed the two would meet in Budapest within two weeks.
The Kremlin also chimed in, with a spokesperson saying there is “no precise timeframe” for a summit, further casting doubt on Trump’s announcement.
The president’s claim came after a phone call with Putin last Thursday, which he immediately posted about on social media.
Following Trump’s post, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday. An administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described this call as “productive.”
However, the official clarified that an in-person meeting between the diplomats was “not necessary” and confirmed the lack of plans for a presidential summit. This reversal comes after Putin’s August visit to Alaska, his first to Western soil since 2022.
