Arrangements for Putin-Trump Meeting Delayed Shortly After Budapest Negotiations Proposed
Currently exist "no preparations" for American leader Donald Trump to confer with Russian President Vladimir Putin "in the near term", a administration representative has announced.
This past week Trump stated he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to discuss the war in Ukraine.
A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was due to be held recently - but the administration clarified the two had had a "constructive" conversation and that a meeting was not "necessary".
The White House withheld further information on the reason the negotiations had been put on hold.
Previous Developments
Trump had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting via telephone with the Russian leader, a just prior to meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.
Some reports indicated his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "contentious discussion", with those familiar indicating Trump had pushed him to cede extensive regions of Ukraine's east as part of a settlement with Moscow.
Yet, on Monday the American president embraced a truce plan supported by Ukraine and EU officials to freeze the war on the present positions.
"Freeze the lines where it stands," he remarked.
Moscow has consistently objected against halting the current line of contact.
Moscow was only interested in "permanent resolution", Lavrov said on Tuesday, suggesting that pausing conflict would simply constitute a short-term truce.
Negotiating Stances
The "fundamental issues" of the hostilities required resolution, the Russian diplomat said, using Russian diplomatic language for a range of maximalist demands that include the acceptance of total Russian authority over the eastern region as well as the demilitarisation of Ukraine – a unacceptable proposition for Kyiv and its European partners.
Zelensky said discussions about the current lines were the "start of negotiations" but that Russia was "doing everything" to avoid diplomacy.
He additionally stated the exclusive issue that could cause Russia to "pay attention" was that of the delivery of extended-range arms to Ukraine.
Military Considerations
Putin's unscheduled call with the US leader recently came ahead of speculation that the United States was considering delivering distance-capable weapons to Ukrainian forces that could potentially strike inside Russia.
Zelensky stated it was the weapons consideration that had compelled Moscow to engage in discussion. The conversation concerning the weapons systems had proven to be a "strong investment" in international relations", he remarked.