Putin aide denies Trump summit cancellation plans

Russian Presidential Investment Envoy Kirill Dmitriev has denied reports that a planned meeting between President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Budapest has been canceled. The denial comes after multiple US media outlets cited an unnamed White House official stating that there were no plans for a Putin-Trump summit “in the immediate future.” Some media outlets interpreted this remark as a cancellation or indefinite postponement of the meeting.

Dmitriev responded to the reports on social media, stating that the media was “twisting the comment about the ‘immediate future’ to undercut the upcoming summit.” He added that preparations for the meeting were ongoing. As the presidential investment envoy, Dmitriev has accompanied Putin to several high-level meetings, including a rare in-person meeting with Trump in Alaska in August and a US-Russia meeting in Riyadh in February.

The planned meeting in Budapest was agreed upon during a phone call between the two leaders last week, although a specific date has not been announced. Trump told reporters that he had not yet made a determination regarding the event, expressing his desire to ensure that the summit would not be “a wasted time.” Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto also weighed in on the matter, stating that “pro-war political elite and their media” were attempting to derail the planned summit, warning of “a wave of leaks, fake news, and statements claiming that it won’t happen.”

The potential meeting between Putin and Trump has significant implications for international relations, particularly given the current tensions between the US and Russia. The two leaders are expected to discuss various pressing issues, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether the planned meeting will take place as scheduled. Despite the denials and reassurances, the uncertainty surrounding the summit has sparked concerns about the ability of the two nations to engage in productive dialogue.