Preparations for Trump-Putin Meeting Postponed Shortly Following Hungarian Capital Talks Proposed

Trump and Putin
Putin and Trump last met in late summer in the northern US state and the American leader had indicated additional discussions would occur in the Hungarian capital

There are "no arrangements" for US President President Trump to confer with Russia's Vladimir Putin "in the immediate future", a administration representative has announced.

This past week Trump stated he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Budapest within two weeks to address the Ukraine conflict.

A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov was scheduled to occur this week - but the administration clarified the two had had a "productive" call and that a meeting was not "needed".

The administration withheld additional specifics on why the talks had been put on hold.

Previous Developments

The US president had discussed a Hungarian meeting over the phone with the Russian leader, a day before meeting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Certain accounts claimed his meeting with Zelensky had been a "heated exchange", with those familiar suggesting Trump had pressured him to cede extensive regions of Ukraine's east as part of a deal with Russia.

However, on Monday the American president endorsed a ceasefire proposal supported by Ukraine and EU officials to freeze the war on the present positions.

"Let it be cut the way it is," he said.

Moscow has repeatedly pushed back against freezing the present battle positions.

Moscow was only interested in "enduring stability", Lavrov commented on this week, indicating that halting hostilities would only amount to a temporary ceasefire.

Diplomatic Positions

The "root causes" of the war demanded attention, the Russian diplomat emphasized, using Russian diplomatic language for a series of extensive requirements that include the recognition of full Russian sovereignty over the eastern region as well as the disarmament of the country – a unacceptable proposition for Kyiv and its Western allies.

Zelensky said discussions about the current lines were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Russia was "employing all tactics" to avoid diplomacy.

He further commented the only topic that could make Moscow "become engaged" was that of the provision of long-range weapons to the Ukrainian military.

Weapons Discussions

The Russian president's spontaneous discussion with Trump recently preceded reports that the US was preparing to send distance-capable weapons to Ukrainian forces that could possibly hit inside Russia.

Zelensky asserted it was the Tomahawks issue that had compelled Moscow to participate in talks. The conversation concerning the weapons systems had turned out to be a "strong investment" in negotiations", he remarked.

Michael Lloyd
Michael Lloyd

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