Trump cancels planned meeting with Putin in Budapest
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – U.S. President Donald Trump announced late Wednesday that he had canceled his scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which was set to take place in Budapest, Hungary, later this week.
“We canceled the meeting with President Putin — it just didn’t feel right to me,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “It didn’t feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get. So I canceled it, but we’ll do it in the future.”
The cancellation came only hours after the U.S. Treasury Department unveiled a new round of sanctions targeting Russia’s vital oil sector, including major state-linked companies and financial entities accused of supporting Moscow’s war efforts.
Speaking alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte earlier in the day, Trump said he hoped the sanctions would encourage President Putin “to act rationally” and de-escalate tensions.
He added that he did not expect the sanctions to remain in place for long if Russia shows signs of compromise.
The now-canceled meeting in Budapest was widely expected to address issues related to Ukraine, energy security, and Russia’s growing ties with Iran and China.
Analysts say Trump’s decision reflects increasing pressure from both Congress and NATO allies to take a firmer stance on Moscow’s actions in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Neither the Kremlin nor the Russian Foreign Ministry immediately commented on the cancellation.