🔗 Share this article

There are "no plans" for American leader Donald Trump to confer with Russian President Putin "in the near term", a White House official has stated.

Recently Trump stated he and the Kremlin leader would hold talks in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to address the war in Ukraine.

A initial discussion between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov was planned for recently - but the White House clarified the two had had a "positive" discussion and that a face-to-face session was no longer "required".

The White House declined to provide additional specifics on why the talks had been put on hold.

Background Context

The US president had raised the possibility of a Budapest summit over the phone with Putin, a day before hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.

Various sources claimed his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "contentious discussion", with insiders suggesting Trump had pressured him to give up large areas of Ukraine's east as part of a agreement with Moscow.

However, on this week Trump embraced a peace initiative endorsed by Kyiv and EU officials to pause the war on the present positions.

"Let it be cut where it stands," he stated.

Moscow has frequently resisted against halting the current line of contact.

Moscow was solely focused on "permanent resolution", Russia's foreign minister stated on Tuesday, indicating that freezing the front line would only amount to a brief pause.

Political Perspectives

The "root causes" of the hostilities demanded attention, Lavrov stated, using Moscow's terminology for a set of extensive requirements that include the acknowledgment of complete Moscow control over the eastern region as well as the disarmament of Ukraine – a non-starter for Ukraine and its EU supporters.

The Ukrainian president commented talks regarding the current lines were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Russia was "taking all measures" to evade negotiations.

He additionally stated the sole subject that could cause Russia to "take notice" was that of the delivery of distance-capable munitions to Ukraine.

Weapons Discussions

Putin's spontaneous discussion with Trump last Thursday came ahead of reports that the United States was considering delivering extended-range cruise missiles to Ukraine that could potentially strike deep into Russia.

Zelensky asserted it was the weapons consideration that had compelled Moscow to participate in talks. The talk about the missiles had proven to be a "significant input" in international relations", he added.