Plans for Trump-Putin Meeting Shelved Shortly Following Hungarian Capital Talks Proposed
There are "no plans" for US President President Trump to confer with Russian President Vladimir Putin "in the immediate future", a administration representative has declared.
Last Thursday Trump stated he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Hungary's capital soon to discuss the war in Ukraine.
A preparatory meeting between America's top diplomat Marco Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was scheduled to occur recently - but the administration stated the two had had a "productive" call and that a face-to-face session was no longer "needed".
The White House declined to provide further information on why the talks had been delayed.
Previous Developments
Trump had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting via telephone with Putin, a just prior to hosting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the White House.
Certain accounts suggested his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "heated exchange", with insiders suggesting the president had pressured him to relinquish large areas of Ukraine's east as part of a deal with Russia.
Yet, on Monday the American president embraced a truce plan backed by Ukraine and EU officials to pause the conflict on the present positions.
"Let it be cut in its current state," he remarked.
Moscow has consistently objected against pausing the present battle positions.
Moscow was only interested in "long-term, sustainable peace", Russia's foreign minister commented on this week, implying that halting hostilities would simply constitute a temporary ceasefire.
Diplomatic Positions
The "fundamental issues" of the war demanded attention, Lavrov said, using Russian diplomatic language for a set of comprehensive conditions that involve the recognition of full Russian sovereignty over the eastern region as well as the demilitarisation of the country – a impossible condition for Ukraine and its EU supporters.
Zelensky stated discussions about the battle positions were the "commencement of dialogue" 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.
Weapons Discussions
Putin's unscheduled call with Trump last Thursday came ahead of reports that the US was planning to provide extended-range cruise missiles to Ukraine that could theoretically target inside Russia.
Zelensky asserted it was the Tomahawks issue that had pressured the Kremlin to participate in talks. The discussion regarding the weapons systems had turned out to be a "valuable contribution" in diplomacy", he remarked.