Preparations for Putin-Trump Talks Delayed Days After Hungarian Capital Talks Proposed

There are "no preparations" for US President Donald Trump to meet Russia's Putin "in the immediate future", a White House official has announced.

Last Thursday Trump indicated he and the Kremlin leader would conduct negotiations in Budapest in the coming fortnight to discuss the war in Ukraine.

A planning session between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov was planned for recently - but the administration clarified the two had had a "positive" call and that a meeting was not "necessary".

The administration did not share further information on why the talks had been delayed.

Background Context

The US president had discussed a Budapest summit via telephone with Putin, a day before hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.

Some reports claimed his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "shouting match", with those familiar indicating Trump had pressured him to relinquish significant territories of eastern Ukraine as part of a settlement with Moscow.

Nevertheless, on this week Trump endorsed a peace initiative endorsed by Ukraine and European leaders to pause the hostilities on the present positions.

"Freeze the lines in its current state," he remarked.

Moscow has consistently objected against halting the present battle positions.

Moscow was exclusively seeking "long-term, sustainable peace", Lavrov stated on Tuesday, indicating that halting hostilities would merely represent a temporary ceasefire.

Political Perspectives

The "underlying reasons" of the hostilities needed to be addressed, the Russian diplomat emphasized, using Russian diplomatic language for a set of comprehensive conditions that include the acceptance of total Russian authority over the Donbas as well as the military reduction of Ukraine – a non-starter for Ukraine and its European partners.

The Ukrainian president commented discussions about the current lines were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Moscow was "taking all measures" to avoid diplomacy.

He further commented the only topic that could make Moscow "take notice" was that of the delivery of long-range weapons to the Ukrainian military.

Strategic Factors

Putin's spontaneous discussion with the US leader last Thursday preceded rumors that the United States was considering delivering extended-range cruise missiles to Ukrainian forces that could possibly hit deep into Russia.

Zelensky stated it was the weapons consideration that had pressured the Kremlin to enter into dialogue. The discussion regarding the weapons systems had emerged as a "strong investment" in negotiations", he commented.