US media reported today that preparations for a meeting between Trump and Putin in Budapest are underway.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said, "The preparation for the summit between Trump and Putin in Budapest is indeed ongoing," despite "the date of the summit has not been determined."
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said, "There are no major obstacles to the meeting between Putin and Trump, and preparations are ongoing."
Previously, Reuters quoted sources as reporting that Moscow had sent a statement to Washington, reiterating its demand for full control over the Donbas region as a condition for reaching a peace agreement with Ukraine.
Comment: The news from US media about the ongoing preparations for the meeting between Trump and Putin in Budapest has dispelled previous rumors of the meeting being canceled. This indicates that although there are differences between the US and Russia on the issue of the Ukraine conflict, both sides still have a willingness to resolve issues through dialogue.
The statements by Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov show that the preparation for the meeting is proceeding step by step without encountering substantial major obstacles. This also indicates that although Trump previously put the scheduled meeting on hold, citing not wanting to "waste time," both sides have not completely abandoned their efforts to communicate and are continuing to prepare for a possible meeting.
However, the differences between the two sides on key issues remain obvious. Russia reiterated its demand for full control over the Donbas region as a condition for reaching a peace agreement with Ukraine, which is significantly different from the US stance of immediate ceasefire and using the current frontline as the starting point for negotiations. In the future, whether the meeting between Trump and Putin can proceed smoothly, and whether a substantive peace agreement on the Ukraine conflict can be reached, will depend on whether both sides can find room for compromise on these core issues.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1846674156851336/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.