From Budapest to Nowhere: Trump-Putin Summit Plans Evaporate

The planned Trump-Putin summit in Budapest has seemingly evaporated. On Tuesday, a US official confirmed “no plans” for a meeting in the “immediate future,” and the Kremlin stated there is “no precise timeframe.”
This reversal follows President Trump’s high-profile announcement last week. After a call with Putin, Trump posted on social media that the two leaders would meet within two weeks.
The announcement initiated a “productive” phone call on Monday between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
However, the momentum stopped there. The US official, speaking anonymously, said a follow-up in-person meeting between the diplomats was “not necessary” and confirmed no presidential meeting was scheduled.
This is the “latest abrupt shift” by Trump, who claims his “personal chemistry” with Putin can end the Ukraine war, despite also acknowledging “frustrations” with him.