Preparations for Putin-Trump Meeting Delayed Days After Budapest Negotiations Suggested
Currently exist "no arrangements" for American leader Donald Trump to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin "in the near term", a administration representative has declared.
This past week Trump said he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Budapest in the coming fortnight to examine the war in Ukraine.
A planning session between America's top diplomat Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was scheduled to occur recently - but the White House stated the two had had a "constructive" call and that a face-to-face session was no longer "required".
The administration did not share further information on why the talks had been postponed.
Background Context
The US president had raised the possibility of a Budapest summit via telephone with Putin, a just prior to hosting Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.
Some reports indicated his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "contentious discussion", with sources suggesting Trump had pushed him to relinquish extensive regions of Ukraine's east as part of a settlement with Russia.
Yet, on Monday Trump endorsed a peace initiative backed by Kyiv and EU officials to pause the conflict on the existing battle lines.
"Let it be cut in its current state," he said.
Russia has consistently objected against pausing the existing front lines.
Moscow was exclusively seeking "permanent resolution", Russia's foreign minister said on Tuesday, suggesting that pausing conflict would simply constitute a temporary ceasefire.
Political Perspectives
The "underlying reasons" of the conflict demanded attention, Lavrov said, using Moscow's terminology for a series of extensive requirements that include the recognition of full Russian sovereignty over the eastern region as well as the military reduction of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its Western allies.
Zelensky commented discussions about the front line were the "start of negotiations" but that Moscow was "employing all tactics" to avoid diplomacy.
He also said the sole subject that could make Moscow "pay attention" was that of the provision of long-range weapons to Ukraine.
Military Considerations
Putin's unscheduled call with Trump recently preceded rumors that the United States was considering delivering distance-capable weapons to Ukrainian forces that could theoretically target Russian territory.
The Ukrainian leader asserted it was the missile discussion that had pressured the Kremlin to enter into dialogue. The discussion regarding the missiles had emerged as a "valuable contribution" in international relations", he remarked.