Arrangements for Trump-Putin Summit Postponed Shortly Following Hungarian Capital Talks Suggested
Currently exist "no plans" for American leader President Trump to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "in the immediate future", a White House official has stated.
Recently Trump said he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Budapest within two weeks to address the war in Ukraine.
A initial discussion between America's top diplomat Marco Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was due to be held recently - but the White House clarified the two had had a "productive" call and that a face-to-face session was not "required".
The administration declined to provide additional specifics on the reason the negotiations had been delayed.
Background Context
Trump had discussed a Budapest summit via telephone with Putin, a just prior to meeting Ukraine's President Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Various sources claimed his meeting with Zelensky had been a "heated exchange", with sources indicating the president had pressured him to cede extensive regions of Ukraine's east as part of a agreement with Moscow.
However, on Monday the American president embraced a peace initiative endorsed by Ukraine and EU officials to halt the hostilities on the existing battle lines.
"Let it be cut the way it is," he said.
Russia has repeatedly pushed back against pausing the current line of contact.
The Russian government was only interested in "long-term, sustainable peace", Russia's foreign minister said on Tuesday, indicating that pausing conflict would simply constitute a short-term truce.
Negotiating Stances
The "underlying reasons" of the hostilities demanded attention, the Russian diplomat emphasized, using Russian diplomatic language for a range of maximalist demands that include the acceptance of complete Moscow control over the Donbas as well as the military reduction of Ukraine – a unacceptable proposition for Kyiv and its European partners.
Zelensky said talks regarding the front line were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Russia was "doing everything" to prevent dialogue.
He further commented the sole subject that could cause Russia to "pay attention" was that of the supply of extended-range arms to the Ukrainian military.
Military Considerations
Putin's spontaneous discussion with Trump recently came ahead of speculation that the United States was planning to provide extended-range cruise missiles to Ukraine that could possibly hit deep into Russia.
Zelensky asserted it was the missile discussion that had pressured the Kremlin to enter into dialogue. The conversation concerning the weapons systems had turned out to be a "strong investment" in negotiations", he added.