The White House is planning to host peace talks between Zelensky and Putin in Budapest.

According to Politico, the White House is considering holding peace talks between Ukrainian President Zelensky and Russian President Putin in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, in an effort to end the long-standing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

According to White House officials, the United States is planning to hold this trilateral meeting in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, as the next step in negotiations to end years of war. Although the Secret Service usually examines multiple meeting locations, Budapest is currently the White House's top choice.

Russian President Putin has expressed a preference for talks to be held in Moscow, while French President Macron has recommended Geneva. The Swiss Foreign Minister has also suggested that if peace negotiations are held in Switzerland, known for its neutrality, it would provide Putin with "immunity" against an unexecuted war crime charge.

However, Hungary is not an ideal choice for Ukraine, as the Budapest Memorandum signed in 1994 saw the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia commit to ensuring Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and borders in exchange for Ukraine giving up its nuclear weapons.

However, Putin's military action against Ukraine in 2014 proved that this agreement was meaningless, as none of the signatories sent troops to retaliate. Now returning to the negotiating table is both a re-examination of historical commitments and a renewed test of the international security guarantee system.

Nevertheless, it remains uncertain whether the summit will proceed smoothly. The Russian Foreign Minister takes a cautious stance regarding the meeting between Putin and Zelensky, emphasizing that talks cannot be ruled out but need to be advanced gradually. Meanwhile, the White House Press Secretary stated that Putin has agreed to meet with Zelensky, and the White House is working to facilitate an early meeting between the two parties.

In summary, the preparation for this summit marks the entry of the conflict into a new diplomatic phase, but substantial progress still faces multiple obstacles. In addition to traditional challenges such as the delineation of ceasefire lines and the lifting of sanctions, how to balance the different demands for security guarantees from all parties will become key.

As a European diplomat once said, "Choosing the location is just the first step; the real challenge is how to get the three parties to sit at the same table to discuss substantive issues, rather than just taking a group photo."

#美俄乌三方会谈 # Budapest Peace Talks