Plans for Trump-Putin Summit Delayed Days Following Budapest Talks Announced

Currently exist "no preparations" for American leader Donald Trump to meet Russia's Putin "in the immediate future", a administration representative has announced.

Recently Trump stated he and the Kremlin leader would hold talks in Hungary's capital soon to discuss the ongoing hostilities.

A initial discussion between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov was due to be held recently - but the White House clarified the two had had a "constructive" conversation and that a meeting was not "necessary".

The administration withheld any more details on the reason the negotiations had been delayed.

Background Context

Trump had discussed a Budapest summit via telephone with Putin, a day before meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.

Certain accounts suggested his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "shouting match", with insiders claiming Trump had urged him to cede large areas of eastern Ukraine as part of a deal with Russia.

Yet, on Monday Trump embraced a ceasefire proposal supported by Ukraine and EU officials to freeze the conflict on the existing battle lines.

"Let it be cut in its current state," he stated.

Russia has repeatedly pushed back against freezing the current line of contact.

Moscow was solely focused on "permanent resolution", Russia's foreign minister said on Tuesday, suggesting that halting hostilities would only amount to a short-term truce.

Political Perspectives

The "fundamental issues" of the hostilities required resolution, Lavrov said, using Russian diplomatic language for a range of extensive requirements that involve the recognition of complete Moscow control over the eastern region as well as the military reduction of the country – a non-starter for Kyiv and its European partners.

The Ukrainian president commented discussions about the battle positions were the "start of negotiations" but that Russia was "doing everything" to avoid diplomacy.

He also said the sole subject that could make Moscow "become engaged" was that of the supply of long-range weapons to the Ukrainian military.

Military Considerations

The Russian president's unscheduled call with Trump recently came ahead of reports that the US was preparing to send extended-range cruise missiles to Ukraine that could potentially strike Russian territory.

The Ukrainian leader said it was the missile discussion that had compelled Moscow to engage in discussion. The conversation concerning the missiles had turned out to be a "significant input" in international relations", he remarked.