Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on October 21 denounced U.S. President Donald Trump for canceling a scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, declaring the delay inevitable.
Peter Szijjarto Fires Accusations
On Tuesday, October 21, the Hungarian foreign minister announced the cancellation of President Trump’s planned meeting with President Putin in Hungary, saying: “Since the announcement of the Budapest Peace Summit, it has been obvious that many would do everything possible to prevent it. Pro‑regime political elites and their media always act that way before events that could determine war or peace.” He noted that this mirrors Kremlin propaganda, added that the political class often behaves similarly before European Council sessions, sanctions decisions, and the European Peace Instrument, and warned of a surge in leaks, fake news, and claims that the meeting would not happen.
Donald Trump Declares No Meeting
Trump said he would not meet with Putin because he does not want the meeting to be in vain. “I don’t want to waste time. We will see what happens. We have made great peace agreements, all solid agreements, except this one,” he added. Trump also mentioned that the two countries lose five to seven thousand soldiers per week and that no decision has yet been made. He said the public would be informed of further steps in the next two days.
Background: Meeting Announcement
Trump had announced on October 16 that he would meet with Putin in Budapest: “President Putin and I will meet at an agreed location in Budapest, Hungary, to see if we can end this infamous war between Russia and Ukraine,” he wrote on TruthSocial.
