Plans for Trump-Putin Summit Delayed Shortly Following Budapest Talks Proposed
There are "no arrangements" for American leader Donald Trump to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "anytime soon", a administration representative has announced.
Last Thursday Trump stated he and the Russian president would hold talks in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to discuss the ongoing hostilities.
A initial discussion between America's top diplomat Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov was due to be held this week - but the White House clarified the two had had a "positive" call and that a meeting was not "necessary".
The White House withheld additional specifics on the reason the negotiations had been postponed.
Previous Developments
The US president had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting over the phone with the Russian leader, a just prior to meeting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Some reports claimed his meeting with Zelensky had been a "contentious discussion", with insiders suggesting the president had pressured him to relinquish large areas of eastern Ukraine as part of a agreement with Russia.
Nevertheless, on this week the American president embraced a ceasefire proposal supported by Kyiv and European leaders to freeze the conflict on the current front line.
"Let it be cut in its current state," he said.
Moscow has repeatedly pushed back against pausing the present battle positions.
The Russian government was only interested in "permanent resolution", Lavrov stated on Tuesday, indicating that freezing the front line would only amount to a short-term truce.
Political Perspectives
The "root causes" of the conflict required resolution, Lavrov emphasized, using Moscow's terminology for a range of comprehensive conditions that encompass the acceptance of complete Moscow control over the eastern region as well as the disarmament of Ukraine – a non-starter for Ukraine and its European partners.
The Ukrainian president commented talks regarding the front line were the "start of negotiations" but that Moscow was "employing all tactics" to evade negotiations.
He additionally stated the exclusive issue that could make Moscow "take notice" was that of the provision of distance-capable munitions to Ukraine.
Military Considerations
Putin's unscheduled call with the US leader recently came ahead of speculation that the United States was preparing to send extended-range cruise missiles to Ukraine that could theoretically target inside Russia.
Zelensky stated it was the Tomahawks issue that had forced Russia to engage in discussion. The conversation concerning the missiles had turned out to be a "valuable contribution" in negotiations", he added.