Ukraine updates: Trump to hold talks with Putin in Budapest

Donald Trump said he held a "very productive" phone call with Vladimir Putin. The call came ahead of a visit to Washington by Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. DW has the latest.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have concluded a phone call that lasted a little more than two hours, with the US president having described it as "very productive" even as his efforts to mediate an end to the war in Ukraine have gone nowhere. 

There is no date set, but Trump said he would meet the Russian leader in Budapest at some point in the next two weeks. 

Sources told DW's US correspondent Misha Komadovsky that the Ukrainian delegation in Washington did not know in advance about Trump's announcement.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has touched down in Washington and is set to visit the White House on Friday.

These updates are now closed. Below is coverage of Russia's war in Ukraine from Thursday October 16, 2025: