Arrangements for Putin-Trump Summit Delayed Shortly Following Budapest Negotiations Announced
Currently exist "no arrangements" for US President Donald Trump to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "in the near term", a White House official has announced.
Last Thursday the US president stated he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Budapest within two weeks to discuss the ongoing hostilities.
A planning session between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was scheduled to occur recently - but the administration said the two had had a "productive" discussion and that a meeting was no longer "required".
The administration did not share any more details on why the talks had been postponed.
Background Context
Trump had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting via telephone with the Russian leader, a day before meeting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the White House.
Some reports suggested his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "contentious discussion", with sources suggesting Trump had urged him to give up significant territories of eastern Ukraine as part of a agreement with Russia.
Yet, on Monday Trump embraced a truce plan endorsed by Ukraine and European leaders to freeze the hostilities on the present positions.
"Let it be cut in its current state," he stated.
Moscow has frequently resisted against freezing the current line of contact.
Moscow was exclusively seeking "permanent resolution", Russia's foreign minister stated on this week, indicating that halting hostilities would merely represent a short-term truce.
Negotiating Stances
The "fundamental issues" of the hostilities required resolution, Lavrov emphasized, using Russian diplomatic language for a series of comprehensive conditions that encompass the acknowledgment of complete Moscow control over the eastern region as well as the military reduction of the country – a impossible condition for Ukraine and its Western allies.
The Ukrainian president said discussions about the current lines were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Moscow was "doing everything" to prevent dialogue.
He also said the sole subject that could cause Russia to "become engaged" was that of the supply of long-range weapons to Ukraine.
Weapons Discussions
Putin's unscheduled call with the US leader last Thursday occurred before speculation that the US was preparing to send long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukrainian forces that could possibly hit inside Russia.
The Ukrainian leader stated it was the Tomahawks issue that had compelled Moscow to participate in talks. The talk about the weapons systems had proven to be a "strong investment" in international relations", he remarked.