Plans for Putin-Trump Talks Postponed Shortly After Budapest Negotiations Announced
There are "no arrangements" for American leader Donald Trump to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "anytime soon", a White House official has stated.
Recently the US president stated he and the Russian president would conduct negotiations in Budapest soon to discuss the Ukraine conflict.
A initial discussion between America's top diplomat Marco Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was planned for this week - but the administration said the two had had a "productive" discussion and that a face-to-face session was no longer "required".
The White House declined to provide further information on why the talks had been delayed.
Earlier Events
Trump had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting during a call with Putin, a just prior to hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Certain accounts indicated his talks with Zelensky had been a "contentious discussion", with sources indicating Trump had urged him to give up extensive regions of Ukraine's east as part of a deal with Moscow.
However, on Monday Trump supported a peace initiative supported by Ukraine and European leaders to pause the conflict on the existing battle lines.
"Let it be cut the way it is," he remarked.
Moscow has frequently resisted against freezing the current line of contact.
Moscow was only interested in "long-term, sustainable peace", Lavrov commented on this week, indicating that freezing the front line would simply constitute a brief pause.
Political Perspectives
The "underlying reasons" of the hostilities demanded attention, the Russian diplomat emphasized, using Russian diplomatic language for a range of comprehensive conditions that include the recognition of full Russian sovereignty over the eastern region as well as the disarmament of Ukraine – a non-starter for Ukraine and its European partners.
Zelensky said discussions about the battle positions were the "start of negotiations" but that Russia was "taking all measures" to evade negotiations.
He additionally stated the sole subject that could make Moscow "become engaged" was that of the delivery of extended-range arms to Ukraine.
Weapons Discussions
The Russian president's unscheduled call with Trump last Thursday came ahead of reports that the United States was preparing to send long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine that could theoretically target Russian territory.
The Ukrainian leader stated it was the weapons consideration that had compelled Moscow to enter into dialogue. The conversation concerning the weapons systems had turned out to be a "significant input" in diplomacy", he commented.
