Arrangements for Trump-Putin Meeting Postponed Shortly After Hungarian Capital Negotiations Suggested
There are "no arrangements" for American leader President Trump to confer with Russia's Putin "in the immediate future", a administration representative has stated.
Last Thursday the US president stated he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Hungary's capital soon to discuss the war in Ukraine.
A initial discussion between America's top diplomat Marco Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was scheduled to occur this week - but the administration clarified the two had had a "constructive" discussion and that a face-to-face session was no longer "necessary".
The White House declined to provide further information on the reason the negotiations had been delayed.
Background Context
Trump had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting via telephone with the Russian leader, a just prior to hosting Ukraine's President Zelensky in the White House.
Some reports indicated his meeting with Zelensky had been a "heated exchange", with sources suggesting Trump had urged him to give up large areas of Ukraine's east as part of a settlement with Russia.
Yet, on Monday the American president supported a peace initiative supported by Kyiv and European leaders to halt the conflict on the present positions.
"Freeze the lines where it stands," he said.
Russia has repeatedly pushed back against freezing the current line of contact.
Moscow was exclusively seeking "permanent resolution", Lavrov stated on this week, indicating that freezing the front line would simply constitute a short-term truce.
Political Perspectives
The "root causes" of the hostilities demanded attention, the Russian diplomat stated, using Russian diplomatic language for a range of maximalist demands that include the acceptance of complete Moscow control over the eastern region as well as the military reduction of Ukraine – a non-starter for Ukraine and its European partners.
Zelensky said talks regarding the battle positions were the "start of negotiations" but that Russia was "taking all measures" to prevent dialogue.
He further commented the exclusive issue that could make Moscow "become engaged" was that of the delivery of long-range weapons to Ukraine.
Weapons Discussions
The Russian president's unplanned conversation with Trump recently preceded rumors that the US was preparing to send distance-capable weapons to Ukrainian forces that could possibly hit inside Russia.
Zelensky stated it was the missile discussion that had compelled Moscow to participate in talks. The talk about the missiles had emerged as a "strong investment" in international relations", he remarked.