Informed sources: White House considering hosting Zelensky-Putin peace talks in Budapest

On August 20, according to Politico, a Trump administration official and a person close to the U.S. government said that the White House is planning a possible meeting of the heads of state of the United States, Russia and Ukraine in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, as the next step in negotiations to end the long-running war. The U.S. Secret Service is preparing for the summit. While the Secret Service usually visits multiple locations and the final location may change, Budapest is emerging as the White House's first choice, the two people said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Putin told Trump that he prefers Moscow, and French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Geneva as the ideal meeting location. Not to be outdone, the Swiss foreign minister promised to offer Putin "immunity" from pending war crimes charges if Switzerland, known for its neutrality, was chosen to participate in the peace talks. But Hungary would be an awkward choice for Ukraine, as it is reminiscent of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, when the US, Britain and Russia pledged to respect Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and borders in exchange for giving up its nuclear weapons. But the 2014 attacks proved the deal pointless, as none of the signatories offered military force to counter the attacks.