Oct. 21 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of his upcoming trip to Hungary, saying he did not want "a wasted meeting."
Trump made the remarks to reporters during the Diwali festival of lights celebration held in the White House Oval Office just days after saying he had a "very productive" meeting with his Russian counterpart ahead of a scheduled talk in Budapest on ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
"I don't want to have a waste of time," Trump said. "So we will see what happens."
After touting his close relationship with Putin, Trump has warmed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as his efforts to broker peace to the two-year conflict have stalled. Last month, he said that Ukraine stood a chance of reclaiming all its territory seized by Russia.
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