Plans for Trump-Putin Summit Postponed Days Following Hungarian Capital Negotiations Suggested
There are "no plans" for American leader President Trump to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin "anytime soon", a administration representative has stated.
Last Thursday the US president said he and the Russian president would conduct negotiations in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to address the war in Ukraine.
A planning session between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was scheduled to occur this week - but the administration said the two had had a "constructive" conversation and that a meeting was not "needed".
The administration withheld further information on the reason the negotiations had been put on hold.
Previous Developments
The US president had raised the possibility of a Budapest summit during a call with the Russian leader, a day before meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.
Some reports indicated his talks with the Ukrainian leader had been a "contentious discussion", with insiders indicating the president had pushed him to relinquish extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a settlement with Moscow.
Yet, on Monday Trump supported a ceasefire proposal endorsed by Ukraine and EU officials to halt the war on the existing battle lines.
"Leave it as is the way it is," he remarked.
Russia has frequently resisted against halting the current line of contact.
Moscow was solely focused on "enduring stability", Lavrov said on Tuesday, suggesting that freezing the front line would only amount to a short-term truce.
Negotiating Stances
The "underlying reasons" of the hostilities demanded attention, Lavrov stated, using Kremlin shorthand for a series of extensive requirements that encompass the acceptance of complete Moscow control over the Donbas as well as the military reduction of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its European partners.
Zelensky stated talks regarding the current lines were the "start of negotiations" but that Russia was "employing all tactics" to evade negotiations.
He further commented the exclusive issue that could make Moscow "become engaged" was that of the delivery of distance-capable munitions to Ukraine.
Military Considerations
Putin's unplanned conversation with the US leader recently preceded speculation that the United States was preparing to send distance-capable weapons to Ukrainian forces that could potentially strike deep into Russia.
Zelensky asserted it was the weapons consideration that had forced Russia to enter into dialogue. The discussion regarding the missiles had turned out to be a "significant input" in diplomacy", he added.