Plans for Putin-Trump Summit Postponed Days Following Budapest Negotiations Announced
Currently exist "no preparations" for American leader Donald Trump to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "in the immediate future", a administration representative has announced.
Recently the US president stated he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Budapest in the coming fortnight to discuss the Ukraine conflict.
A initial discussion between America's top diplomat Secretary Rubio and his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov was scheduled to occur this week - but the administration said the two had had a "productive" conversation and that a meeting was no longer "needed".
The White House did not share additional specifics on the reason the negotiations had been put on hold.
Earlier Events
The US president had raised the possibility of a Budapest summit over the phone with the Russian leader, a day before meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.
Various sources indicated his talks with Zelensky had been a "heated exchange", with those familiar indicating Trump had pushed him to give up extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a deal with Russia.
Yet, on Monday the American president embraced a ceasefire proposal endorsed by Ukraine and EU officials to halt the war on the present positions.
"Freeze the lines where it stands," he remarked.
Moscow has repeatedly pushed back against halting the present battle positions.
Moscow was solely focused on "permanent resolution", Lavrov said on Tuesday, implying that halting hostilities would simply constitute a temporary ceasefire.
Political Perspectives
The "underlying reasons" of the war demanded attention, the Russian diplomat stated, using Moscow's terminology for a range of comprehensive conditions that include the acceptance of total Russian authority over the Donbas as well as the demilitarisation of the country – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its Western allies.
Zelensky said conversations concerning the current lines were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Russia was "employing all tactics" to evade negotiations.
He also said the only topic that could cause Russia to "take notice" was that of the supply of long-range weapons to Ukraine.
Military Considerations
Putin's spontaneous discussion with Trump last Thursday preceded rumors that the United States was planning to provide extended-range cruise missiles to Ukrainian forces that could possibly hit Russian territory.
The Ukrainian leader asserted it was the weapons consideration that had compelled Moscow to engage in discussion. The discussion regarding the missiles had emerged as a "significant input" in international relations", he added.