Preparations for Trump-Putin Summit Shelved Days After Hungarian Capital Talks Suggested
Currently exist "no arrangements" for US President Donald Trump to confer with Russia's Vladimir Putin "in the near term", a White House official has stated.
Last Thursday the US president stated he and the Russian president would conduct negotiations in Hungary's capital within two weeks to examine the war in Ukraine.
A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was due to be held recently - but the administration clarified the two had had a "productive" conversation and that a face-to-face session was not "necessary".
The White House did not share further information on the reason the negotiations had been delayed.
Previous Developments
The US president had discussed a Hungarian meeting over the phone with the Russian leader, a just prior to hosting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Some reports suggested his talks with the Ukrainian leader had been a "heated exchange", with those familiar indicating the president had urged him to give up large areas of Ukraine's east as part of a agreement with Russia.
Nevertheless, on Monday the American president endorsed a truce plan backed by Ukraine and European leaders to freeze the war on the existing battle lines.
"Freeze the lines in its current state," he stated.
Moscow has frequently resisted against halting the present battle positions.
The Russian government was exclusively seeking "long-term, sustainable peace", Russia's foreign minister commented on this week, suggesting that halting hostilities would only amount to a brief pause.
Political Perspectives
The "root causes" of the conflict demanded attention, the Russian diplomat emphasized, using Russian diplomatic language for a series of maximalist demands that encompass the acknowledgment of total Russian authority over the eastern region as well as the military reduction of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its European partners.
Zelensky stated talks regarding the battle positions were the "start of negotiations" but that Russia was "taking all measures" to avoid diplomacy.
He additionally stated the only topic that could make Moscow "pay attention" was that of the delivery of distance-capable munitions to Ukraine.
Military Considerations
The Russian president's unscheduled call with the US leader recently preceded speculation that the United States was planning to provide extended-range cruise missiles to Ukraine that could possibly hit Russian territory.
The Ukrainian leader asserted it was the Tomahawks issue that had pressured the Kremlin to participate in talks. The talk about the missiles had emerged as a "significant input" in negotiations", he added.