Plans for Putin-Trump Talks Delayed Days After Budapest Negotiations Announced
There are "no plans" for US President Donald Trump to meet Russian President Putin "in the immediate future", a White House official has announced.
This past week the US president stated he and the Kremlin leader would conduct negotiations in Budapest soon to address the Ukraine conflict.
A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was planned for this week - but the White House stated the two had had a "constructive" call and that a meeting was not "needed".
The administration withheld any more details on the reason the negotiations had been delayed.
Previous Developments
Trump had discussed a Budapest summit during a call with the Russian leader, a day before meeting Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Various sources suggested his talks with Zelensky had been a "heated exchange", with insiders suggesting Trump had urged him to relinquish extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a deal with Russia.
However, on Monday Trump endorsed a truce plan endorsed by Kyiv and European leaders to pause the conflict on the existing battle lines.
"Let it be cut the way it is," he said.
Russia has repeatedly pushed back against pausing the present battle positions.
The Russian government was exclusively seeking "enduring stability", Lavrov stated on Tuesday, suggesting that halting hostilities would only amount to a temporary ceasefire.
Diplomatic Positions
The "underlying reasons" of the hostilities needed to be addressed, Lavrov said, using Russian diplomatic language for a series of extensive requirements that involve the recognition of full Russian sovereignty over the eastern region as well as the disarmament of the country – a non-starter for Kyiv and its Western allies.
The Ukrainian president said conversations concerning the front line were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Russia was "employing all tactics" to evade negotiations.
He further commented the only topic that could cause Russia to "pay attention" was that of the delivery of extended-range arms to the Ukrainian military.
Weapons Discussions
The Russian president's unplanned conversation with Trump last Thursday came ahead of reports that the US was considering delivering long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine that could potentially strike deep into Russia.
The Ukrainian leader stated it was the missile discussion that had forced Russia to participate in talks. The conversation concerning the weapons systems had emerged as a "valuable contribution" in international relations", he remarked.