Preparations for Putin-Trump Talks Postponed Days Following Hungarian Capital Negotiations Suggested
Currently exist "no preparations" for American leader Donald Trump to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin "anytime soon", a White House official has stated.
This past week Trump stated he and the Kremlin leader would hold talks in Budapest soon to discuss the ongoing hostilities.
A planning session between America's top diplomat Marco Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was due to be held this week - but the White House said the two had had a "productive" call and that a face-to-face session was not "required".
The administration withheld further information on the reason the negotiations had been postponed.
Previous Developments
Trump had raised the possibility of a Budapest summit via telephone with the Russian leader, a just prior to hosting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Various sources indicated his meeting with Zelensky had been a "contentious discussion", with those familiar claiming the president had urged him to relinquish large areas of eastern Ukraine as part of a agreement with Russia.
Yet, on Monday the American president supported a truce plan backed by Kyiv and EU officials to freeze the conflict on the current front line.
"Let it be cut the way it is," he stated.
Moscow has repeatedly pushed back against halting the present battle positions.
The Russian government was only interested in "long-term, sustainable peace", Russia's foreign minister stated on Tuesday, indicating that freezing the front line would only amount to a brief pause.
Negotiating Stances
The "fundamental issues" of the war required resolution, the Russian diplomat said, using Kremlin shorthand for a range of extensive requirements that involve the acceptance of complete Moscow control over the eastern region as well as the demilitarisation of the country – a unacceptable proposition for Ukraine and its European partners.
Zelensky commented talks regarding the front line were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Russia was "doing everything" to prevent dialogue.
He further commented 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 came ahead of rumors that the US was preparing to send long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukrainian forces that could theoretically target Russian territory.
The Ukrainian leader said it was the missile discussion that had compelled Moscow to engage in discussion. The talk about the weapons systems had turned out to be a "significant input" in international relations", he remarked.