🔗 Share this article

Currently exist "no plans" for US President President Trump to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "in the immediate future", a White House official has stated.

Last Thursday the US president said he and the Russian president 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 opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was due to be held recently - but the administration clarified the two had had a "productive" conversation and that a meeting was no longer "required".

The administration did not share further information on why the talks had been put on hold.

Background Context

Trump had discussed a Budapest summit via telephone with Putin, a day before hosting Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Some reports claimed his talks with the Ukrainian leader had been a "heated exchange", with sources suggesting the president had urged him to relinquish extensive regions of Ukraine's east as part of a deal with Russia.

Yet, on this week the American president embraced a ceasefire proposal supported by Ukraine and EU officials to halt the war on the current front line.

"Leave it as is where it stands," he said.

Moscow has consistently objected against halting the existing front lines.

Moscow was only interested in "long-term, sustainable peace", Russia's foreign minister said on Tuesday, suggesting that freezing the front line would simply constitute a temporary ceasefire.

Political Perspectives

The "fundamental issues" of the war demanded attention, the Russian diplomat stated, using Moscow's terminology for a series of extensive requirements that encompass the acceptance of full Russian sovereignty over the Donbas as well as the demilitarisation of the country – a unacceptable proposition for Kyiv and its European partners.

Zelensky stated talks regarding the front line were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Moscow was "doing everything" to prevent dialogue.

He additionally stated the only topic that could cause Russia to "pay attention" was that of the delivery of long-range weapons to Ukraine.

Strategic Factors

The Russian president's spontaneous discussion with the US leader recently occurred before speculation that the United States was preparing to send extended-range cruise missiles to Ukraine that could theoretically target inside Russia.

Zelensky asserted it was the missile discussion that had compelled Moscow to engage in discussion. The discussion regarding the weapons systems had turned out to be a "valuable contribution" in negotiations", he added.