Lead Contender Emerges to Host Russian Summit

If talks between Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, and President Trump come to pass, the White House is leaning toward Hungary as the host nation, reports Politico. The hypothetical summit would be presided over by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a staunch Trump ally. The White House hasn't confirmed, but Politico quotes two sources saying the Hungarian capital of Budapest is fast emerging as the first choice.

Of course, Putin has not yet agreed to any such meeting. In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday morning, Trump seemed to offer conflicting prospects about the Russian leader's willingness to strike a deal, per Reuters:

• "I don't think it's going to be a problem (reaching a peace deal), to be honest with you. I think Putin is tired of it. I think they're all tired of it, but you never know," Trump said.
• "We're going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks," he added. "It's possible that he doesn't want to make a deal." Trump has previously threatened to impose more sanctions on Russia should Putin balk.
• Another potential site of a summit is Switzerland, which has promised not to arrest Putin should he go there for peace talks.