Russia Accuses EU of Attempting to Sabotage Upcoming Putin-Trump Summit in Budapest

Russia has accused the European Union of taking deliberate steps to sabotage an upcoming summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump, set to be held in Budapest, Hungary.

Speaking to state news agency TASS on Monday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the EU was engaged in “active subversive actions” aimed at derailing the summit.

Her comments came in response to a report by Spanish newspaper El Pais, which described Brussels’ reaction to the planned meeting as “a political nightmare.” Citing diplomatic sources, the report claimed the EU found the situation “awkward and unpleasant” since Putin and Trump might discuss resolving the Ukraine conflict without the EU’s involvement — and that too on EU soil.

Zakharova accused the “aggressive Western European community” of trying to block any efforts toward peace in Ukraine. “We are seeing provocative statements and open threats,” she said.

She further argued that Western European countries are “doing everything they can to escalate the conflict” between Russia and Ukraine — a pattern she says has continued since 2022, when peace talks between the two sides in Istanbul reportedly collapsed under Western pressure.

Referencing earlier reports, Zakharova recalled how former Ukrainian chief negotiator David Arakhamia alleged that then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson influenced President Volodymyr Zelensky to walk away from a potential peace deal. Johnson has denied these claims.

“Statements from EU capitals and London about wanting peace are nothing but a smokescreen,” Zakharova said. “In practice, they’re pushing for more escalation — perhaps without fully grasping the consequences, given how many amateurs are leading these Western European governments.”

The idea of a Trump-Putin summit in Budapest surfaced following a 2.5-hour phone call between the two leaders last Thursday. According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, Trump proposed the venue and Putin immediately supported it. The summit could take place within the next two to three weeks.

Source: RT