Plans for Trump-Putin Talks Postponed Days After Hungarian Capital Talks Suggested
There are "no plans" for US President President Trump to meet Russia's Putin "in the immediate future", a administration representative has declared.
Last Thursday the US president said 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 Foreign Minister Lavrov was scheduled to occur recently - but the White House clarified the two had had a "productive" call and that a meeting was no longer "necessary".
The White House did not share any more details on why the talks had been postponed.
Earlier Events
Trump had discussed a Hungarian meeting during a call with the Russian leader, a just prior to meeting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Certain accounts indicated his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "shouting match", with those familiar indicating Trump had pressured him to cede significant territories of Ukraine's east as part of a deal with Russia.
Yet, on this week Trump embraced a ceasefire proposal endorsed by Kyiv and EU officials to pause the conflict on the existing battle lines.
"Let it be cut in its current state," he said.
Russia has frequently resisted against pausing the present battle positions.
Moscow was solely focused on "long-term, sustainable peace", Lavrov commented on this week, indicating that freezing the front line would merely represent a temporary ceasefire.
Negotiating Stances
The "fundamental issues" of the conflict required resolution, Lavrov emphasized, using Russian diplomatic language for a set of comprehensive conditions that include the acceptance of total Russian authority over the eastern region as well as the military reduction of Ukraine – a non-starter for Kyiv and its Western allies.
Zelensky stated discussions about the front line were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Russia was "taking all measures" to evade negotiations.
He also said the sole subject that could make Moscow "become engaged" was that of the supply of distance-capable munitions to the Ukrainian military.
Military Considerations
Putin's unscheduled call with the US leader last Thursday preceded reports that the United States was considering delivering extended-range cruise missiles to Ukrainian forces that could theoretically target deep into Russia.
The Ukrainian leader said it was the missile discussion that had forced Russia to engage in discussion. The conversation concerning the missiles had emerged as a "significant input" in international relations", he commented.