Tusk references Budapest Memorandum over trilateral meeting proposal in Hungarian capital
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized the idea of holding trilateral talks between the leaders of Ukraine, the United States and the Russian Federation to end the war in Budapest, recalling that it was there that a memorandum on guarantees of Ukraine's territorial integrity and security from the United States and the Russian Federation was signed in 1994.
"Budapest? Not everyone remembers this, but in 1994 Ukraine already received guarantees of territorial integrity from the United States, Russia and Great Britain. In Budapest. Maybe I'm superstitious, but this time I would try to find a different place," Tusk said on X on Wednesday.
Earlier, Politico, citing its own sources in the US presidential administration, reported that the White House plans to hold peace talks between the presidents of Ukraine and the United States, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Donald Trump with Vladimir Putin, in Budapest.
"While the Secret Service often considers multiple locations, and the final venue could change, Budapest is emerging as the White House's top choice, said two people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Trump he prefers Moscow, while French President Emmanuel Macron has pushed for Geneva as the ideal meeting location. Not to be outdone, Switzerland's foreign minister has promised Putin "immunity" for an outstanding war crimes arrest warrant if the country, known for its neutrality, is chosen for peace talks," the report said.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt, when asked about a possible Budapest meeting during a Tuesday press briefing, said: "I'm not going to confirm or deny any locations." At the same time, she confirmed that Putin had agreed to meet with Zelenskyy, adding that the White House was working with Russia and Ukraine to make the bilateral meeting happen.
The publication notes that now Russian officials are beginning to slow down any meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin.
