US Cancels Trump-Putin Budapest Summit Over Russia's Ukraine Demands

The planned Budapest summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was canceled after Moscow firmly reiterated demands that Ukraine cede territory, reduce its armed forces, and abandon NATO membership aspirations as preconditions for a ceasefire. The decision followed a tense phone call between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during which Washington concluded Russia was unwilling to negotiate. Trump supported Ukraine's call for an immediate ceasefire along current front lines and expressed frustration with Putin's hardline stance and battlefield boasts. The Kremlin advised relying only on official statements regarding the cancellation, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky affirmed Kyiv's readiness for peace talks but refusal to concede more territory. The cancellation reflects increasing U.S. sanctions against Russia and a tougher posture toward Moscow, contrasting with Trump's earlier friendly approach to Putin. No official comments were released by the White House or Russian government, but the summit's cancellation underscores the deepening impasse over the war in Ukraine.