Preparations for Trump-Putin Meeting Postponed Days After Hungarian Capital Negotiations Announced
Currently exist "no preparations" for American leader President Trump to meet Russian President Putin "in the near term", a administration representative has stated.
Recently the US president stated he and the Russian president would conduct negotiations in Budapest within two weeks to discuss the war in Ukraine.
A preparatory meeting between America's top diplomat Secretary Rubio and his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov was planned for recently - but the White House clarified the two had had a "positive" conversation and that a meeting was not "necessary".
The administration declined to provide any more details on why the talks had been delayed.
Previous Developments
Trump had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting over the phone with Putin, a just prior to meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Some reports suggested his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "shouting match", with those familiar suggesting Trump had urged him to cede large areas of Ukraine's east as part of a settlement with Moscow.
However, on Monday the American president supported a ceasefire proposal endorsed by Ukraine and European leaders to freeze the hostilities on the current front line.
"Freeze the lines in its current state," he remarked.
Moscow has consistently objected against halting the current line of contact.
The Russian government was solely focused on "long-term, sustainable peace", Russia's foreign minister commented on Tuesday, implying that halting hostilities would merely represent a short-term truce.
Negotiating Stances
The "underlying reasons" of the conflict needed to be addressed, Lavrov emphasized, using Kremlin shorthand for a series of extensive requirements that encompass the recognition of complete Moscow control over the eastern region as well as the demilitarisation of Ukraine – a unacceptable proposition for Kyiv and its European partners.
Zelensky stated discussions about the front line were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Moscow was "taking all measures" to avoid diplomacy.
He additionally stated the exclusive issue that could make Moscow "take notice" was that of the supply of long-range weapons to the Ukrainian military.
Weapons Discussions
The Russian president's unplanned conversation with the US leader last Thursday came ahead of rumors that the United States was considering delivering extended-range cruise missiles to Ukrainian forces that could possibly hit Russian territory.
Zelensky stated it was the missile discussion that had compelled Moscow to engage in discussion. The talk about the weapons systems had proven to be a "significant input" in international relations", he remarked.