Preparations for Putin-Trump Summit Delayed Shortly Following Budapest Talks Suggested
Currently exist "no arrangements" for American leader Donald Trump to confer with Russian President Vladimir Putin "in the near term", a White House official has declared.
This past week the US president indicated he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Hungary's capital within two weeks to examine the war in Ukraine.
A initial discussion between America's top diplomat Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart 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 "needed".
The White House did not share additional specifics on why the talks had been postponed.
Background Context
The US president had discussed a Hungarian meeting over the phone with the Russian leader, a day before meeting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Some reports indicated his talks with the Ukrainian leader had been a "heated exchange", with those familiar indicating the president had pressured him to cede significant territories of Ukraine's east as part of a settlement with Russia.
However, on Monday the American president endorsed a truce plan supported by Ukraine and EU officials to halt the war on the existing battle lines.
"Let it be cut where it stands," he stated.
Moscow has frequently resisted against halting the existing front lines.
Moscow was solely focused on "long-term, sustainable peace", Russia's foreign minister said on Tuesday, implying that halting hostilities would only amount to a temporary ceasefire.
Negotiating Stances
The "root causes" of the hostilities required resolution, Lavrov said, using Moscow's terminology for a range of comprehensive conditions that involve the acceptance of full Russian sovereignty over the Donbas as well as the demilitarisation of the country – a non-starter for Ukraine and its Western allies.
The Ukrainian president stated discussions about the current lines were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Russia was "doing everything" to evade negotiations.
He further commented the exclusive issue that could make Moscow "pay attention" was that of the delivery of distance-capable munitions to Ukraine.
Military Considerations
Putin's unscheduled call with Trump recently preceded reports that the United States was preparing to send long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukrainian forces that could possibly hit deep into Russia.
Zelensky stated it was the weapons consideration that had pressured the Kremlin to enter into dialogue. The talk about the weapons systems had proven to be a "strong investment" in diplomacy", he added.