Preparations for Trump-Putin Talks Shelved Shortly After Budapest Negotiations Announced
Currently exist "no preparations" for US President Donald Trump to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "anytime soon", a White House official has stated.
This past week Trump indicated he and the Russian president would conduct negotiations in Hungary's capital soon to discuss the war in Ukraine.
A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was planned for recently - but the administration clarified the two had had a "constructive" call and that a face-to-face session was no longer "needed".
The White House withheld additional specifics on the reason the negotiations had been postponed.
Earlier Events
The US president had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting via telephone with the Russian leader, a just prior to hosting Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.
Some reports suggested his meeting with Zelensky had been a "shouting match", with sources indicating the president had pressured him to give up extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a agreement with Russia.
Nevertheless, on Monday Trump supported a truce plan backed by Kyiv and EU officials to halt the hostilities on the present positions.
"Freeze the lines in its current state," he remarked.
Moscow has frequently resisted against freezing the existing front lines.
The Russian government was only interested in "permanent resolution", Russia's foreign minister commented on this week, implying that freezing the front line would only amount to a brief pause.
Negotiating Stances
The "root causes" of the war required resolution, the Russian diplomat said, using Kremlin shorthand for a set of comprehensive conditions that involve the acknowledgment of complete Moscow control over the eastern region as well as the military reduction of the country – a unacceptable proposition for Ukraine and its Western allies.
Zelensky said talks regarding the current lines were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Moscow was "doing everything" to prevent dialogue.
He further commented the exclusive issue that could make Moscow "become engaged" was that of the provision of extended-range arms to Ukraine.
Strategic Factors
Putin's unscheduled call with Trump last Thursday occurred before rumors that the United States was preparing to send long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine that could possibly hit deep into Russia.
Zelensky stated it was the weapons consideration that had forced Russia to enter into dialogue. The discussion regarding the weapons systems had proven to be a "valuable contribution" in diplomacy", he commented.