Preparations for Trump-Putin Talks Postponed Days After Hungarian Capital Negotiations Suggested

Trump and Putin
Putin and Trump previously convened in late summer in the northern US state and the US president had indicated additional talks would take place in Budapest

There are "no preparations" for US President President Trump to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "in the near term", a White House official has stated.

Last Thursday Trump stated he and the Kremlin leader would hold talks in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to discuss the Ukraine conflict.

A preparatory meeting between America's top diplomat Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was scheduled to occur recently - but the White House said the two had had a "positive" discussion and that a face-to-face session was not "necessary".

The White House declined to provide additional specifics on why the talks had been postponed.

Previous Developments

The US president had discussed a Budapest summit via telephone with Putin, a just prior to meeting Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.

Some reports suggested his talks with Zelensky had been a "shouting match", with sources claiming Trump had pressured him to cede large areas of Ukraine's east as part of a agreement with Russia.

However, on Monday Trump supported a peace initiative backed by Kyiv and EU officials to halt the hostilities on the present positions.

"Freeze the lines the way it is," he remarked.

Russia has frequently resisted against halting the existing front lines.

Moscow was only interested in "permanent resolution", Russia's foreign minister stated on Tuesday, indicating that halting hostilities would merely represent a brief pause.

Political Perspectives

The "fundamental issues" of the hostilities demanded attention, Lavrov said, using Russian diplomatic language for a set of comprehensive conditions that involve the acceptance of full Russian sovereignty over the Donbas as well as the disarmament of the country – a non-starter for Kyiv and its European partners.

The Ukrainian president said discussions about the current lines were the "start of negotiations" but that Moscow was "doing everything" to prevent dialogue.

He additionally stated the sole subject that could make Moscow "pay attention" was that of the delivery of long-range weapons to the Ukrainian military.

Weapons Discussions

The Russian president's unscheduled call with Trump last Thursday preceded reports that the US was planning to provide distance-capable weapons to Ukrainian forces that could possibly hit inside Russia.

Zelensky asserted it was the missile discussion that had compelled Moscow to enter into dialogue. The conversation concerning the weapons systems had emerged as a "significant input" in international relations", he added.

Melissa Smith
Melissa Smith

A tech journalist and gaming aficionado with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and digital culture.