Arrangements for Trump-Putin Meeting Postponed Shortly Following Budapest Negotiations Announced
Currently exist "no plans" for American leader Donald Trump to meet Russian President Putin "in the immediate future", a administration representative has announced.
Last Thursday the US president stated he and the Kremlin leader would conduct negotiations in Budapest within two weeks to examine the Ukraine conflict.
A initial discussion between America's top diplomat Secretary Rubio and his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov was due to be held this week - but the administration stated the two had had a "productive" call and that a meeting was no longer "required".
The administration declined to provide further information on why the talks had been delayed.
Previous Developments
The US president had raised the possibility of a Budapest summit over the phone with the Russian leader, a day before meeting Ukraine's President Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Various sources indicated his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "shouting match", with those familiar suggesting the president had pressured him to give up extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a agreement with Moscow.
Nevertheless, on this week Trump embraced a ceasefire proposal supported by Kyiv and European leaders to halt the hostilities on the current front line.
"Freeze the lines where it stands," he stated.
Russia has frequently resisted against freezing the current line of contact.
Moscow was exclusively seeking "permanent resolution", Lavrov said on Tuesday, implying that pausing conflict would merely represent a temporary ceasefire.
Negotiating Stances
The "fundamental issues" of the war required resolution, the Russian diplomat emphasized, using Moscow's terminology for a range of extensive requirements that encompass the acknowledgment of full Russian sovereignty over the Donbas as well as the demilitarisation of the country – a unacceptable proposition for Ukraine and its Western allies.
The Ukrainian president commented talks regarding the current lines were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Russia was "taking all measures" to avoid diplomacy.
He further commented the exclusive issue that could make Moscow "take notice" was that of the provision of long-range weapons to Ukraine.
Military Considerations
Putin's unscheduled call with Trump recently occurred before reports that the United States was preparing to send distance-capable weapons to Ukrainian forces that could potentially strike Russian territory.
The Ukrainian leader said it was the missile discussion that had forced Russia to enter into dialogue. The talk about the weapons systems had turned out to be a "significant input" in negotiations", he commented.