Plans for Putin-Trump Talks Postponed Shortly Following Hungarian Capital Negotiations Suggested
Currently exist "no arrangements" for American leader Donald Trump to meet Russia's Putin "in the near term", a administration representative has stated.
This past week Trump indicated he and the Kremlin leader would conduct negotiations in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to address the ongoing hostilities.
A initial discussion between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was scheduled to occur this week - but the White House clarified the two had had a "productive" discussion and that a meeting was no longer "necessary".
The White House did not share additional specifics on the reason the negotiations had been postponed.
Previous Developments
Trump had raised the possibility of a Budapest summit over the phone with Putin, a just prior to meeting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Some reports suggested his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "contentious discussion", with sources claiming Trump had pushed him to relinquish large areas of eastern Ukraine as part of a settlement with Russia.
Yet, on this week Trump supported a peace initiative endorsed by Kyiv and EU officials to halt the war on the current front line.
"Freeze the lines the way it is," he said.
Moscow has consistently objected against freezing the present battle positions.
Moscow was only interested in "permanent resolution", Lavrov commented on Tuesday, suggesting that freezing the front line would simply constitute a short-term truce.
Negotiating Stances
The "underlying reasons" of the conflict demanded attention, the Russian diplomat said, using Kremlin shorthand for a set of extensive requirements that encompass the acknowledgment of full Russian sovereignty over the eastern region as well as the disarmament of Ukraine – a non-starter for Ukraine and its EU supporters.
Zelensky said conversations concerning the front line were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Moscow was "doing everything" to avoid diplomacy.
He further commented the sole subject that could make Moscow "take notice" was that of the delivery of distance-capable munitions to the Ukrainian military.
Weapons Discussions
The Russian president's spontaneous discussion with the US leader last Thursday occurred before rumors that the US was planning to provide distance-capable weapons to Ukraine that could potentially strike deep into Russia.
The Ukrainian leader stated it was the missile discussion that had pressured the Kremlin to participate in talks. The discussion regarding the missiles had proven to be a "valuable contribution" in international relations", he added.