Preparations for Trump-Putin Meeting Delayed Days After Hungarian Capital Negotiations Announced

Trump and Putin
Trump and Putin last met in August in Alaska and the US president had said additional discussions would take place in Budapest

There are "no preparations" for American leader President Trump to confer with Russia's Vladimir Putin "anytime soon", a administration representative has announced.

Last Thursday the US president stated he and the Russian president would conduct negotiations in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to address the Ukraine conflict.

A initial discussion between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was scheduled to occur this week - but the administration stated the two had had a "positive" conversation and that a meeting was no longer "needed".

The administration withheld further information on the reason the negotiations had been postponed.

Earlier Events

The US president had raised the possibility of a Budapest summit over the phone with Putin, a just prior to hosting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the White House.

Some reports claimed his talks with Zelensky had been a "shouting match", with insiders suggesting the president had pressured him to relinquish large areas of Ukraine's east as part of a agreement with Russia.

However, on Monday Trump embraced a ceasefire proposal endorsed by Ukraine and EU officials to freeze the hostilities on the current front line.

"Leave it as is the way it is," he stated.

Russia has frequently resisted against freezing the existing front lines.

Moscow was exclusively seeking "enduring stability", Lavrov said on Tuesday, implying that freezing the front line would merely represent a short-term truce.

Negotiating Stances

The "root causes" of the war demanded attention, the Russian diplomat emphasized, using Kremlin shorthand for a range of comprehensive conditions that include the acknowledgment of complete Moscow control over the Donbas as well as the disarmament of Ukraine – a unacceptable proposition for Kyiv and its European partners.

Zelensky commented discussions about the current lines were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Moscow was "taking all measures" to evade negotiations.

He further commented the exclusive issue that could cause Russia to "take notice" was that of the provision of distance-capable munitions to Ukraine.

Military Considerations

Putin's spontaneous discussion with the US leader last Thursday preceded reports that the US was considering delivering distance-capable weapons to Ukraine that could theoretically target inside Russia.

The Ukrainian leader asserted it was the Tomahawks issue that had pressured the Kremlin to enter into dialogue. The talk about the missiles had turned out to be a "significant input" in negotiations", he remarked.

Tina Johnson
Tina Johnson

A passionate historian and collector specializing in 20th-century artifacts, with over a decade of experience in antique restoration.