Plans for Trump-Putin Talks Shelved Days Following Hungarian Capital Talks Suggested
There are "no plans" for American leader Donald Trump to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "in the immediate future", a White House official has announced.
Recently Trump stated he and the Russian president would hold talks in Hungary's capital within two weeks to address the ongoing hostilities.
A planning session between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was scheduled to occur recently - but the administration said the two had had a "positive" call and that a face-to-face session was not "necessary".
The administration declined to provide further information on the reason the negotiations had been put on hold.
Previous Developments
Trump had discussed a Budapest summit over the phone with Putin, a day before hosting Ukraine's President Zelensky in the White House.
Certain accounts suggested his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "shouting match", with those familiar suggesting Trump had pressured him to give up significant territories of eastern Ukraine as part of a agreement with Russia.
However, on Monday the American president endorsed a truce plan backed by Ukraine and EU officials to freeze the conflict on the existing battle lines.
"Let it be cut in its current state," he remarked.
Moscow has repeatedly pushed back against halting the existing front lines.
The Russian government was exclusively seeking "long-term, sustainable peace", Russia's foreign minister said on Tuesday, implying that pausing conflict would only amount to a brief pause.
Diplomatic Positions
The "underlying reasons" of the hostilities demanded attention, the Russian diplomat said, using Moscow's terminology for a range of extensive requirements that encompass the acknowledgment of complete Moscow control over the Donbas as well as the disarmament of the country – a unacceptable proposition for Kyiv and its Western allies.
Zelensky stated talks regarding the battle positions were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Russia was "taking all measures" to evade negotiations.
He also said the exclusive issue that could make Moscow "pay attention" was that of the supply of distance-capable munitions to the Ukrainian military.
Weapons Discussions
The Russian president's spontaneous discussion with the US leader recently came ahead of speculation that the US was considering delivering distance-capable weapons to Ukraine that could theoretically target inside Russia.
Zelensky asserted it was the weapons consideration that had forced Russia to participate in talks. The conversation concerning the missiles had proven to be a "strong investment" in international relations", he added.