Plans for Putin-Trump Summit Postponed Shortly Following Budapest Talks Announced

Trump and Putin
Putin and Trump previously convened in August in the northern US state and the American leader had stated additional talks would occur in the Hungarian capital

Currently exist "no plans" for American leader President Trump to confer with Russia's Putin "anytime soon", a White House official has announced.

This past week Trump indicated he and the Kremlin leader would hold talks in Hungary's capital within two weeks to discuss the war in Ukraine.

A preparatory meeting between America's top diplomat Marco Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was due to be held recently - but the White House said the two had had a "productive" conversation and that a meeting was no longer "necessary".

The White House withheld additional specifics on why the talks had been postponed.

Background Context

The US president had raised the possibility of a Budapest summit via telephone with the Russian leader, a just prior to meeting Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Some reports indicated his talks with Zelensky had been a "heated exchange", with those familiar indicating Trump had pressured him to give up large areas of eastern Ukraine as part of a settlement with Moscow.

Yet, on this week the American president endorsed a ceasefire proposal supported by Kyiv and European leaders to pause the conflict on the present positions.

"Let it be cut the way it is," he remarked.

Russia has repeatedly pushed back against freezing the existing front lines.

Moscow was solely focused on "enduring stability", Lavrov commented on Tuesday, indicating that pausing conflict would only amount to a short-term truce.

Negotiating Stances

The "underlying reasons" of the hostilities demanded attention, the Russian diplomat emphasized, using Kremlin shorthand for a series of comprehensive conditions that encompass the acknowledgment of full Russian sovereignty over the Donbas as well as the disarmament of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its Western allies.

Zelensky said conversations concerning the current lines were the "start of negotiations" but that Moscow was "taking all measures" to avoid diplomacy.

He also said the only topic that could make Moscow "take notice" was that of the provision of extended-range arms to Ukraine.

Weapons Discussions

The Russian president's unscheduled call with Trump recently preceded rumors that the United States was preparing to send long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine that could potentially strike Russian territory.

Zelensky said it was the missile discussion that had compelled Moscow to participate in talks. The conversation concerning the weapons systems had turned out to be a "valuable contribution" in negotiations", he commented.

Cathy Rodriguez
Cathy Rodriguez

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