Arrangements for Trump-Putin Talks Delayed Shortly After Budapest Talks Announced
Currently exist "no arrangements" for American leader Donald Trump to meet Russian President Putin "in the immediate future", a White House official has stated.
Last Thursday Trump indicated he and the Kremlin leader would hold talks in Hungary's capital soon to address the Ukraine conflict.
A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was scheduled to occur this week - but the administration said the two had had a "constructive" call and that a meeting was not "necessary".
The administration did not share any more details on why the talks had been delayed.
Background Context
Trump had discussed a Hungarian meeting during a call with the Russian leader, a just prior to meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.
Various sources indicated his talks with Zelensky had been a "shouting match", with insiders suggesting the president had urged him to cede large areas of eastern Ukraine as part of a deal with Moscow.
Yet, on Monday Trump embraced a ceasefire proposal endorsed by Kyiv and European leaders to halt the conflict on the existing battle lines.
"Let it be cut where it stands," he remarked.
Moscow has repeatedly pushed back against freezing the existing front lines.
Moscow was only interested in "enduring stability", Russia's foreign minister stated on this week, indicating that pausing conflict would simply constitute a brief pause.
Political Perspectives
The "root causes" of the war needed to be addressed, the Russian diplomat emphasized, using Russian diplomatic language for a range of comprehensive conditions that encompass the acceptance of complete Moscow control over the Donbas as well as the military reduction of the country – a impossible condition for Ukraine and its Western allies.
The Ukrainian president commented conversations concerning the battle positions were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Russia was "employing all tactics" to evade negotiations.
He additionally stated the exclusive issue that could cause Russia to "become engaged" was that of the provision of extended-range arms to the Ukrainian military.
Weapons Discussions
The Russian president's unscheduled call with the US leader recently came ahead of rumors that the US was planning to provide distance-capable weapons to Ukrainian forces that could possibly hit inside Russia.
The Ukrainian leader said it was the missile discussion that had pressured the Kremlin to participate in talks. The conversation concerning the missiles had proven to be a "significant input" in negotiations", he remarked.
