With the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas starting to take hold, the geopolitical highlight is shifting back to Eastern Europe. President Donald Trump is signaling that the long-running war in Ukraine is now his immediate goal.
Speaking Thursday, Trump said he and several other “high-level advisors” plan to fulfill Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Hungary, to debate a possible end to the war. The statement followed a recent call during which Trump said Putin congratulated him on the “great accomplishment of peace within the Middle East.”
“President Putin and I’ll then meet in an agreed upon location, Budapest, Hungary, to see if we will bring this ‘inglorious’ War, between Russia and Ukraine, to an end. … I consider great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
It will mark the second in-person meeting between the 2 leaders during Trump’s current term. Trump said the summit could happen inside the subsequent two weeks.
Tomahawks on the Table
Ahead of that meeting, the administration is putting pressure on Moscow by raising the choice of supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. Ukraine has not previously been in a position to access capabilities like these.
Trump is scheduled to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the White House on Friday, with missiles expected to be a key topic. Earlier this week, Trump told reporters he may use the specter of Tomahawk deliveries as leverage over Putin, saying he could tell the Russian leader, “Look: if this war just isn’t going to get settled, I’m going to send them Tomahawks.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reinforced the message Wednesday, promising that “firepower” was coming for Ukraine, although he didn’t confirm the missiles by name.
The Kremlin responded immediately. Officials warned that the introduction of Tomahawks, that are able to striking targets inside Russia from as much as 1,000 miles away, could be a “serious escalation.”
Renewed Peace Push After Gaza Deal
Trump has made it clear that, with a Gaza ceasefire underway, he intends to revive diplomatic efforts on Ukraine because the conflict nears its fourth 12 months.
While addressing Israel’s Knesset earlier this week, he said, “Now we have to get Russia done.” Turning to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, he added, “Steve, let’s concentrate on Russia first, alright? We’ll get it [done].”
During his first term, Trump drew criticism for claiming he could end the war in “sooner or later.” This week, he acknowledged the challenge was greater than expected. “I assumed it will be easily settled. I assumed it was a hell of so much easier than doing what we just did [in Gaza].”
Analysts say the truce within the Middle East may create momentum elsewhere. Victoria Coates, vp on the Heritage Foundation’s Davis Institute and a former deputy national security adviser, told CNBC the diplomatic gains around Gaza could carry over to Ukraine.
“The momentum behind resolving the Gaza conflict might help get to a resolution of the Ukraine war,” she said on “Squawk Box.” With world leaders engaged in conflict resolution, she said the U.S. may now find a way to “put some pressure on Putin to return to the table.”
Will Russia Engage?
For now, Moscow is striking a conciliatory tone in public, although critics warn Russia has a pattern of using delay tactics to secure battlefield benefits.
“Definitely, we welcome such intentions, we welcome the confirmation of the political will to help the seek for peaceful solutions in every possible way,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday, in keeping with Interfax.
He added that Russia “stays open to and prepared for a peace dialogue” and voiced hope that “the influence of the US and the diplomatic prowess of President Trump’s envoys will definitely help prompt the Ukrainian side toward a greater readiness for a peace process.”
Kyiv and its allies have consistently rejected Moscow’s framing, stating that Russia launched the invasion in February 2022 and continues to occupy Ukrainian land.
Pressure Campaign Expands
The subsequent few weeks will test whether these talks are real or tactical. In recent months, Trump has shown growing impatience with the Kremlin, which marks a change in tone from their meeting in Alaska over the summer.
Along with the Tomahawk threat, the administration has targeted a few of Russia’s economic partners. India, a significant buyer of discounted Russian oil, was hit with latest U.S. tariffs. That move sends a message to Moscow and the countries it relies on financially.
Trump has also publicly mocked Russia’s strength, calling the country a “paper tiger,” and floated latest sanctions. None have yet been implemented, which has frustrated Kyiv and a few European allies.
Peter Dickinson, editor of the Atlantic Council’s UkraineAlert, said this could possibly be a turning point if Trump follows through on Tomahawk commitments, at the same time as a negotiating tactic.
“Trump must now resolve whether he’ll call Putin’s bluff and arm Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles. There are mounting indications that he could also be inclined to accomplish that,” Dickinson said this week.
“Trump now has a chance to persuade his Russian counterpart that he just isn’t as easily intimidated as other Western leaders and is greater than able to increase the pressure on Moscow until Putin agrees to pursue peace,” he continued. Although critics may doubt such a tough line, Dickinson argued that “few objective observers would query that this approach is the one method to end the war.”
What Is at Stake
With U.S. and European military aid stretched, the potential introduction of Tomahawks would change the strategic picture significantly. The missiles could threaten Russia’s logistics hubs, energy facilities and command centers far beyond the front lines.
A reputable threat from Washington could push the Kremlin to approach talks more seriously than at any point since 2022. But when negotiations stall and Trump follows through, the conflict could escalate in ways in which test NATO members and global markets.
Budapest is shaping as much as be essentially the most consequential U.S.-Russia meeting for the reason that invasion began.
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