Plans for Putin-Trump Talks Postponed Days Following Budapest Negotiations Suggested
There are "no arrangements" for American leader President Trump to confer with Russian President Putin "anytime soon", a White House official has declared.
This past week the US president indicated he and the Kremlin leader would conduct negotiations in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to address the Ukraine conflict.
A planning session between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov was due to be held this week - but the administration clarified the two had had a "constructive" call and that a face-to-face session was not "necessary".
The administration declined to provide any more details on why the talks had been postponed.
Previous Developments
Trump had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting during a call with the Russian leader, a day before meeting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Some reports indicated his talks with Zelensky had been a "heated exchange", with those familiar indicating the president had pushed him to cede large areas of eastern Ukraine as part of a agreement with Russia.
However, on Monday the American president supported a truce plan backed by Kyiv and European leaders to freeze the war on the present positions.
"Leave it as is in its current state," he remarked.
Moscow has consistently objected against halting the current line of contact.
The Russian government was solely focused on "enduring stability", Lavrov stated on Tuesday, indicating that pausing conflict would only amount to a brief pause.
Diplomatic Positions
The "root causes" of the conflict required resolution, Lavrov stated, using Moscow's terminology for a series of maximalist demands that include the recognition of total Russian authority over the Donbas as well as the military reduction of the country – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its European partners.
Zelensky stated discussions about the battle positions were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Russia was "employing all tactics" to evade negotiations.
He further commented the exclusive issue that could cause Russia to "take notice" was that of the provision of extended-range arms to the Ukrainian military.
Strategic Factors
Putin's unplanned conversation with Trump last Thursday preceded rumors that the United States was preparing to send distance-capable weapons to Ukrainian forces that could possibly hit inside Russia.
The Ukrainian leader asserted it was the Tomahawks issue that had forced Russia to enter into dialogue. The talk about the missiles had proven to be a "valuable contribution" in negotiations", he remarked.