The idea of holding a second bilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest did not last even a week. Despite the postponement of the summit, Washington decided to continue political pressure on the Kremlin: the Senate is preparing new sanctions initiatives. At this time, the EU, together with Ukraine, has begun to form a detailed plan to end the war.
Washington: Russia is not ready for any concessions, and Trump is losing patience
US President Donald Trump saidthat preparations for the summit with Vladimir Putin have been officially suspended. As Trump explained, he does not want the meeting to be "in vain" and has taken two days to think about further steps.
The State Department confirmed that after a telephone conversation between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, it became clear that the positions of the parties remain unchanged, and Russia is not ready to make any concessions and does not plan to abandon its maximalist position. Despite the formulation of the “productivity” of the dialogue, officials in Washington have concluded that it is inappropriate to move forward with the meeting in the near future.
According to Reuters after the telephone conversation, the Russian side handed the United States an unofficial document with preliminary demands: to give Moscow all of Donbas without a fight and to prohibit NATO from deploying forces in Ukraine even after the war is over. In response, House Speaker Mike Johnson said that support for new tough sanctions against Russia is growing among Republicans.
“The president, as you know and you can take his word for it, has lost patience with Putin. He is not a bona fide figure, he is clearly an aggressor in an unjust war, and it must be ended,” Johnson stressed.
Orban confirmed preparations for the Trump-Putin summit, Moscow also denied the cancellation
In turn, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban saidthat Budapest continues to prepare for the meeting of the leaders of the United States and Russia, despite reports of its suspension.
“Szijjarto (Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto – editorial office) is in Washington. Preparations for the peace summit are ongoing. The date has not yet been determined. When the time comes, we will hold it,” Orban wrote.
Moscow also stated that the information about the cancellation of the meeting is not true. The head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, who is part of the Kremlin’s negotiating team, claims that the media is “distorting the comments” of sources in the White House in order to “harm” the preparations for the summit. According to him, work on the meeting is ongoing, and contacts with the American side have not stopped.
US Senate to consider bills to increase pressure on Russia
The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations will consider three bills on October 22 aimed at increasing pressure on Russia.
According to Axios, among them is an initiative to recognize the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism due to the abduction of Ukrainian children, a bill on sanctions against China for supporting Moscow, as well as a document that provides for the re-profiling of frozen Russian assets in the United States and their transfer to Ukraine in tranches every 90 days.
The publication notes that the committee meeting will coincide with a visit to Washington by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Committee Chairman James Risch stressed that “the more we can do here to counter Russia, the more we are eager to do so.”
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen added that Congress is ready to act independently of the administration if the White House does not show initiative. According to her, the adoption of these laws will make it more difficult for Moscow to continue the war and will be a signal that bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States remains strong.
Sharp rhetoric from the Pentagon spokesman
A Pentagon spokesman sharply responded to a journalist’s question about the “Russian” tie of the Secretary of Defense. The incident occurred after HuffPost journalists drew attention to the tie of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegsett, which he wore during a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky. The colors of the accessory – red, white and blue – coincided with the sequence of colors of the Russian flag, so the journalists asked the Pentagon to comment on the situation.
The Pentagon took the issue with a grain of irony: the defense department's chief spokesman sharply replied to the journalist, saying: "Your mother bought him this tie - and it's a patriotic American tie, you idiot."
Hegset's accessory immediately received positive reviews from Russian officials and even the official TASS agency. The Pentagon, in turn, emphasized that the minister is "a patriot who respects his country and flag." Another spokesman, Kingsley Wilson, added in a statement that criticism from the "left-wing HuffPost" only indicates media bias. The defense department itself called the tie issue artificial and politically motivated.
Bloomberg: Ukraine and the EU are preparing a plan to end the war
Ukraine, together with its European partners, is developing a comprehensive 12-point proposal that should become the basis for ending the war on the front line with Russia.
According to Bloomberg, the document provides for the return of all deported Ukrainian children, an exchange of prisoners and security guarantees for Ukraine after reaching an agreement on a ceasefire. Kyiv may also receive financial support for the country's reconstruction and accelerated accession to the European Union.
The plan includes the gradual lifting of sanctions against Russia, but about $300 billion in its frozen assets will be returned only after Moscow agrees to contribute to Ukraine's post-war reconstruction. Kyiv and Moscow should begin negotiations on the management of the occupied territories, without recognizing them as legally Russian. The implementation of the plan will be monitored by a peace council chaired by Donald Trump. European officials may visit the United States this week to agree on the details of the peace initiative.
Author: Danylo Pievchev