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Headline: US and Russian Top Diplomats Lay Groundwork for Trump-Putin Summit in Budapest

Moscow, October 20, 2025 – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held what Russia described as a “constructive conversation” on Monday to prepare for an upcoming summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. The summit, slated to be held in Budapest, Hungary, was agreed upon during a phone call between the two leaders last Thursday.

According to a brief statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, the discussion focused on “possible concrete steps to implement the understandings” reached during the October 16th phone conversation. Specific details of the conversation were not disclosed.

Russia has stated its desire for the summit to address potential peace settlements in Ukraine and explore avenues for improved relations between Moscow and Washington. The meeting in Budapest will mark the second summit between Trump and Putin this year.

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