Plans for Trump-Putin Talks Shelved Days Following Hungarian Capital Negotiations Proposed
Currently exist "no arrangements" for US President President Trump to confer with Russian President Putin "in the immediate future", a administration representative has announced.
Recently Trump indicated he and the Kremlin leader would hold talks in Budapest soon to address the ongoing hostilities.
A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov was scheduled to occur this week - but the administration said the two had had a "constructive" discussion and that a meeting was no longer "required".
The administration did not share further information on why the talks had been postponed.
Previous Developments
The US president had discussed a Hungarian meeting via telephone with the Russian leader, a day before meeting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Some reports claimed his meeting with Zelensky had been a "contentious discussion", with sources claiming the president had pressured him to give up extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a deal with Russia.
However, on Monday the American president embraced a ceasefire proposal endorsed by Kyiv and EU officials to pause the war on the present positions.
"Freeze the lines the way it is," he said.
Moscow has consistently objected against halting the current line of contact.
Moscow was exclusively seeking "permanent resolution", Russia's foreign minister commented on this week, suggesting that freezing the front line would merely represent a brief pause.
Negotiating Stances
The "fundamental issues" of the war needed to be addressed, Lavrov emphasized, using Kremlin shorthand for a series of maximalist demands that encompass the recognition of total Russian authority over the Donbas as well as the disarmament of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Ukraine and its EU supporters.
Zelensky said discussions about the battle positions were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Russia was "employing all tactics" to prevent dialogue.
He additionally stated the sole subject that could make Moscow "take notice" was that of the delivery of distance-capable munitions to Ukraine.
Military Considerations
Putin's unplanned conversation with the US leader recently came ahead of reports that the US was preparing to send extended-range cruise missiles to Ukrainian forces that could potentially strike inside Russia.
Zelensky stated it was the Tomahawks issue that had forced Russia to enter into dialogue. The conversation concerning the missiles had turned out to be a "valuable contribution" in diplomacy", he remarked.