Plans for Putin-Trump Summit Shelved Shortly After Budapest Negotiations Announced

There are "no arrangements" for American leader Donald Trump to meet Russian President Putin "in the near term", a administration representative has stated.

Last Thursday the US president said he and the Kremlin leader would conduct negotiations in Hungary's capital within two weeks to discuss the ongoing hostilities.

A preparatory meeting between America's top diplomat Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov was scheduled to occur this week - but the administration stated the two had had a "constructive" call and that a meeting was not "necessary".

The White House withheld additional specifics on the reason the negotiations had been delayed.

Previous Developments

The US president had raised the possibility of a Budapest summit via telephone with Putin, a day before meeting Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.

Some reports suggested his talks with Zelensky had been a "heated exchange", with those familiar claiming Trump had pressured him to give up large areas of Ukraine's east as part of a deal with Russia.

Nevertheless, on Monday Trump embraced a truce plan backed by Kyiv and EU officials to halt the conflict on the present positions.

"Let it be cut where it stands," he stated.

Russia has consistently objected against freezing the present battle positions.

Moscow was exclusively seeking "permanent resolution", Russia's foreign minister commented on this week, indicating that halting hostilities would only amount to a brief pause.

Diplomatic Positions

The "fundamental issues" of the conflict needed to be addressed, Lavrov stated, using Russian diplomatic language for a range of extensive requirements that include the acceptance of complete Moscow control over the eastern region as well as the military reduction of Ukraine – a non-starter for Ukraine and its EU supporters.

Zelensky stated talks regarding the current lines were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Moscow was "taking all measures" to evade negotiations.

He further commented the sole subject that could make Moscow "become engaged" was that of the provision of long-range weapons to Ukraine.

Weapons Discussions

Putin's unscheduled call with the US leader recently occurred before reports that the US was preparing to send extended-range cruise missiles to Ukraine that could theoretically target deep into Russia.

The Ukrainian leader said it was the weapons consideration that had compelled Moscow to engage in discussion. The conversation concerning the missiles had emerged as a "strong investment" in international relations", he remarked.