Budapest: The Russian foreign minister and the US secretary of state engaged in what Moscow has described as 'constructive' talks in preparation for an upcoming summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Budapest.

According to Anadolu Agency, the discussions come after Putin and Trump explored the possibility of another face-to-face meeting during a phone call last Thursday. The two leaders agreed that their representatives would immediately begin making arrangements for a summit, with Budapest being considered as a potential location, as stated by Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov.

Trump described the phone call with Putin as "very productive," and mentioned that they could meet in Hungary within two weeks, following high-level meetings scheduled for next week. This proposed meeting would follow their last encounter in Alaska on August 15, marking the first meeting between sitting Russian and US presidents since the onset of the over three-and-a-half-year Ukraine war.

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a 'constructive' dialogue on potential concrete steps to execute the understandings reached during the recent Putin-Trump phone call. While the ministry did not provide further details, the US State Department later stated that the diplomats discussed next steps following the October 16 call.

Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott noted that Secretary Rubio emphasized the significance of the upcoming engagements as a chance for Moscow and Washington to collaborate on advancing a long-term resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, aligning with President Trump's vision.