Preparations for Putin-Trump Meeting Postponed Days After Hungarian Capital Talks Proposed
Currently exist "no preparations" for US President Donald Trump to confer with Russian President Vladimir Putin "in the immediate future", a White House official has stated.
This past week Trump stated he and the Russian president would hold talks in Hungary's capital soon to address the war in Ukraine.
A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov was planned for this week - but the White House clarified the two had had a "productive" call and that a meeting was not "required".
The administration declined to provide additional specifics on the reason the negotiations had been put on hold.
Earlier Events
Trump had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting during a call with Putin, a just prior to meeting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Certain accounts indicated his talks with Zelensky had been a "heated exchange", with those familiar claiming Trump had pushed him to relinquish extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a deal with Moscow.
However, on Monday Trump endorsed a peace initiative backed by Kyiv and EU officials to pause the war on the existing battle lines.
"Let it be cut the way it is," he stated.
Russia has consistently objected against halting the existing front lines.
The Russian government was exclusively seeking "enduring stability", Russia's foreign minister stated on this week, indicating that freezing the front line would simply constitute a temporary ceasefire.
Negotiating Stances
The "fundamental issues" of the war needed to be addressed, the Russian diplomat emphasized, using Kremlin shorthand for a range of comprehensive conditions that involve the recognition of total Russian authority over the Donbas as well as the military reduction of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Ukraine and its Western allies.
The Ukrainian president commented conversations concerning the current lines were the "start of negotiations" but that Russia was "doing everything" to evade negotiations.
He also said the sole subject that could cause Russia to "take notice" was that of the supply of distance-capable munitions to Ukraine.
Weapons Discussions
Putin's spontaneous discussion with the US leader last Thursday preceded reports that the US was preparing to send extended-range cruise missiles to Ukrainian forces that could theoretically target inside Russia.
The Ukrainian leader said it was the missile discussion that had compelled Moscow to engage in discussion. The talk about the missiles had proven to be a "significant input" in international relations", he added.