Plans for Putin-Trump Talks Postponed Shortly Following Budapest Negotiations Suggested
There are "no preparations" for US President President Trump to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "anytime soon", a White House official has declared.
This past week the US president indicated he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Budapest soon to examine the war in Ukraine.
A initial discussion between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was due to be held recently - but the administration stated the two had had a "positive" call and that a face-to-face session was not "needed".
The administration declined to provide any more details on why the talks had been put on hold.
Earlier Events
The US president had discussed a Hungarian meeting via telephone with the Russian leader, a day before hosting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the White House.
Various sources indicated his talks with Zelensky had been a "shouting match", with those familiar indicating Trump had pushed him to cede significant territories of eastern Ukraine as part of a deal with Russia.
Nevertheless, on Monday Trump endorsed a truce plan endorsed by Kyiv and European leaders to pause the conflict on the present positions.
"Freeze the lines where it stands," he remarked.
Moscow has consistently objected against freezing the current line of contact.
Moscow was exclusively seeking "enduring stability", Russia's foreign minister said on this week, indicating that freezing the front line would simply constitute a short-term truce.
Political Perspectives
The "fundamental issues" of the war required resolution, Lavrov stated, using Moscow's terminology for a range of extensive requirements that involve the recognition of full Russian sovereignty over the eastern region as well as the demilitarisation of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its EU supporters.
The Ukrainian president said conversations concerning the front line were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Moscow was "taking all measures" to evade negotiations.
He further commented the only topic that could make Moscow "become engaged" was that of the provision of extended-range arms to the Ukrainian military.
Weapons Discussions
Putin's unplanned conversation with the US leader recently came ahead of reports that the United States was planning to provide distance-capable weapons to Ukraine that could potentially strike inside Russia.
The Ukrainian leader asserted it was the missile discussion that had forced Russia to engage in discussion. The conversation concerning the missiles had turned out to be a "significant input" in diplomacy", he added.