Plans for Trump-Putin Summit Postponed Shortly Following Hungarian Capital Negotiations Proposed
Currently exist "no arrangements" for American leader Donald Trump to confer with Russian President Putin "in the immediate future", a administration representative has announced.
Recently Trump stated he and the Russian president would conduct negotiations in Hungary's capital soon to examine the war in Ukraine.
A initial discussion between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was planned for recently - but the White House clarified the two had had a "positive" discussion and that a meeting was no longer "necessary".
The administration declined to provide further information 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 indicated his talks with Zelensky had been a "shouting match", with insiders suggesting Trump had pushed him to give up extensive regions of Ukraine's east as part of a agreement with Moscow.
However, on this week the American president endorsed a truce plan endorsed by Kyiv and European leaders to freeze the war on the existing battle lines.
"Let it be cut where it stands," he stated.
Russia has repeatedly pushed back against freezing the present battle positions.
The Russian government was solely focused on "enduring stability", Russia's foreign minister commented on this week, suggesting that pausing conflict would merely represent a temporary ceasefire.
Diplomatic Positions
The "fundamental issues" of the hostilities required resolution, the Russian diplomat emphasized, using Russian diplomatic language for a set of extensive requirements that involve the recognition of total Russian authority over the eastern region as well as the disarmament of Ukraine – a non-starter for Kyiv and its EU supporters.
Zelensky said conversations concerning the front line were the "start of negotiations" but that Russia was "taking all measures" to prevent dialogue.
He also said the sole subject that could make Moscow "become engaged" was that of the delivery of distance-capable munitions to the Ukrainian military.
Strategic Factors
The Russian president's unscheduled call with the US leader last Thursday came ahead of reports that the United States was preparing to send long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukrainian forces that could possibly hit inside Russia.
The Ukrainian leader said it was the missile discussion that had compelled Moscow to engage in discussion. The talk about the missiles had turned out to be a "valuable contribution" in negotiations", he added.