Political analyst Sergei Mikheev explained the reasoning behind U. S. President Donald Trump’s decision to first invite Russia to a summit in Budapest, and then later call off the meeting.

According to Mikheev, Trump’s actions are part of a calculated political game, since he does not currently see any real risks for himself or his country. The analyst said that Trump initially sought to escalate tensions following the discussion about Tomahawk missiles, hoping to use what he viewed as his «brilliant successes» in Gaza to push through a similar move on the Ukrainian front.

Mikheev recalled that a phone conversation between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin soon followed. During that exchange, Trump was reportedly made aware that the Tomahawk issue was a dangerous game. Although a meeting was proposed, subsequent consultations showed that the plan under which Trump could advance his own «peace initiative» for Ukraine was falling apart — and that, Mikheev suggested, left the U.S. president frustrated.

At the same time, Mikheev noted that Trump has not ruled out another meeting with Putin in the future. He expressed confidence that such a meeting would eventually take place. The key point, according to him, is that the Tomahawk topic has now been pushed to the background — a critically important development that, Mikheev stressed, Russia cannot afford to overlook.