Russia, US hold ‘constructive’ talks ahead of Putin-Trump summit in Budapest

The Russian foreign minister and the US Secretary of State on Monday held what Moscow described as "constructive" talks amid preparations ahead of a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Hungary's capital Budapest.

Putin and Trump discussed the possibility of holding another face-to-face meeting during a phone call on Thursday, and agreed that representatives from both sides will immediately begin preparing for a summit, with Budapest as a potential venue, according to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov.

Calling the phone conversation "very productive," Trump said after the phone call that he and his Russian counterpart could meet in Hungary within two weeks, after high-level delegations meet next week.

The two leaders last met in Alaska on Aug. 15, which marked the first meeting between sitting Russian and US presidents since the start of the over three-and-a-half-year Ukraine war.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a "constructive" discussion on "possible concrete steps to implement the understandings reached" during the Putin-Trump phone call last week.

It gave no further details regarding the talks, while the State Department said in a later statement that the two diplomats spoke to "discuss next steps following the October 16 call."

"The Secretary emphasized the importance of upcoming engagements as an opportunity for Moscow and Washington to collaborate on advancing a durable resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war, in line with President Trump's vision," said department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.