Plans for Putin-Trump Meeting Postponed Days Following Budapest Talks Suggested

There are "no plans" for American leader Donald Trump to confer with Russian President Vladimir Putin "in the immediate future", a administration representative has stated.

Recently Trump stated he and the Russian president would hold talks in Budapest in the coming fortnight to address the war in Ukraine.

A planning session between America's top diplomat Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was due to be held this week - but the White House stated the two had had a "constructive" conversation and that a face-to-face session was not "necessary".

The administration declined to provide any more details on the reason the negotiations had been put on hold.

Background Context

The US president had discussed a Hungarian meeting via telephone with Putin, a just prior to hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.

Some reports claimed his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "shouting match", with sources suggesting the president had urged him to give up extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a agreement with Moscow.

Nevertheless, on this week the American president embraced a peace initiative backed by Ukraine and EU officials to pause the war on the existing battle lines.

"Leave it as is the way it is," he said.

Russia has consistently objected against freezing the existing front lines.

The Russian government was exclusively seeking "long-term, sustainable peace", Russia's foreign minister said on this week, implying that pausing conflict would merely represent a brief pause.

Negotiating Stances

The "underlying reasons" of the hostilities needed to be addressed, the Russian diplomat emphasized, using Russian diplomatic language for a range of extensive requirements that involve the acceptance of total Russian authority over the eastern region as well as the military reduction of the country – a impossible condition for Ukraine and its European partners.

The Ukrainian president said conversations concerning the current lines were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Moscow was "doing everything" to avoid diplomacy.

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

Weapons Discussions

Putin's spontaneous discussion with Trump recently preceded speculation that the United States was preparing to send extended-range cruise missiles to Ukrainian forces that could theoretically target deep into Russia.

The Ukrainian leader said it was the Tomahawks issue that had forced Russia to enter into dialogue. The discussion regarding the weapons systems had turned out to be a "strong investment" in negotiations", he commented.