Plans for Trump-Putin Talks Postponed Shortly Following Budapest Talks Suggested
There are "no preparations" for American leader President Trump to confer with Russian President Putin "anytime soon", a administration representative has declared.
Last Thursday Trump stated he and the Russian president would conduct negotiations in Hungary's capital within two weeks to discuss the Ukraine conflict.
A preparatory meeting between America's top diplomat Secretary 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 "productive" discussion and that a meeting was no longer "required".
The administration declined to provide additional specifics on why the talks had been delayed.
Previous Developments
The US president had discussed a Hungarian meeting during a call with the Russian leader, a just prior to meeting Ukraine's President Zelensky in the White House.
Certain accounts claimed his meeting with Zelensky had been a "shouting match", with sources suggesting the president had pressured him to give up extensive regions of Ukraine's east as part of a deal with Moscow.
Nevertheless, on this week the American president supported a truce plan supported by Kyiv and EU officials to freeze the conflict on the existing battle lines.
"Let it be cut where it stands," he said.
Russia has repeatedly pushed back against freezing the present battle positions.
Moscow was exclusively seeking "enduring stability", Lavrov stated on this week, implying that halting hostilities would only amount to a temporary ceasefire.
Political Perspectives
The "fundamental issues" of the hostilities required resolution, Lavrov emphasized, using Moscow's terminology for a series of maximalist demands that include the acknowledgment of total Russian authority over the eastern region as well as the demilitarisation of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Ukraine and its Western allies.
Zelensky stated talks regarding the current lines were the "start of negotiations" but that Moscow was "employing all tactics" to avoid diplomacy.
He further commented the sole subject that could cause Russia to "become engaged" was that of the provision of extended-range arms to Ukraine.
Strategic Factors
The Russian president's spontaneous discussion with Trump recently occurred before rumors that the United States was considering delivering long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukrainian forces that could potentially strike inside Russia.
The Ukrainian leader asserted it was the weapons consideration that had compelled Moscow to participate in talks. The talk about the missiles had proven to be a "significant input" in international relations", he added.