Arrangements for Trump-Putin Meeting Postponed Shortly After Hungarian Capital Negotiations Announced

Trump and Putin
Putin and Trump previously convened in late summer in the northern US state and the American leader had indicated additional talks would occur in Budapest

There are "no plans" for American leader President Trump to confer with Russian President Putin "in the near term", a White House official has announced.

Last Thursday the US president said he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Hungary's capital within two weeks to discuss the war in Ukraine.

A preparatory meeting between America's top diplomat Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was planned for recently - but the White House clarified the two had had a "positive" call and that a meeting was no longer "necessary".

The administration declined to provide 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 just prior to meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.

Some reports claimed his meeting with Zelensky had been a "shouting match", with those familiar indicating the president had pushed him to give up large areas of Ukraine's east as part of a deal with Russia.

Yet, on this week Trump supported a truce plan supported by Kyiv and EU officials to pause the conflict on the present positions.

"Freeze the lines the way it is," he stated.

Moscow has consistently objected against pausing the current line of contact.

Moscow was only interested in "enduring stability", Russia's foreign minister stated on Tuesday, indicating that freezing the front line would only amount to a short-term truce.

Negotiating Stances

The "root causes" of the hostilities required resolution, Lavrov stated, using Russian diplomatic language for a set of comprehensive conditions that encompass the acceptance of complete Moscow control over the eastern region as well as the military reduction of the country – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its Western allies.

The Ukrainian president stated conversations concerning the front line were the "start of negotiations" but that Russia was "employing all tactics" to avoid diplomacy.

He additionally stated the sole subject that could make Moscow "become engaged" was that of the delivery of distance-capable munitions to the Ukrainian military.

Weapons Discussions

The Russian president's unplanned conversation with Trump recently occurred before rumors that the United States was planning to provide long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine that could potentially strike deep into Russia.

The Ukrainian leader said it was the weapons consideration that had forced Russia to engage in discussion. The discussion regarding the missiles had emerged as a "strong investment" in international relations", he commented.

Kathy Elliott
Kathy Elliott

A digital strategist and content creator passionate about blending creativity with technology to drive impactful online experiences.