Arrangements for Putin-Trump Meeting Postponed Shortly Following Hungarian Capital Talks Announced
There are "no plans" for US President Donald Trump to confer with Russian President Vladimir Putin "anytime soon", a administration representative has announced.
Recently the US president indicated he and the Russian president would meet in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to discuss the Ukraine conflict.
A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov was planned for recently - but the administration stated the two had had a "productive" call and that a face-to-face session was no longer "necessary".
The administration did not share any more details on the reason the negotiations had been postponed.
Background Context
The US president had discussed a Hungarian meeting during a call with Putin, a day before meeting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the White House.
Certain accounts indicated his talks with the Ukrainian leader had been a "heated exchange", with sources indicating the president had pushed him to give up large areas of Ukraine's east as part of a deal with Russia.
Nevertheless, on Monday Trump embraced a peace initiative endorsed by Ukraine and European leaders to halt the war on the current front line.
"Leave it as is where it stands," he stated.
Russia has consistently objected against freezing the current line of contact.
The Russian government was exclusively seeking "permanent resolution", Russia's foreign minister stated on Tuesday, indicating that freezing the front line would only amount to a temporary ceasefire.
Diplomatic Positions
The "fundamental issues" of the hostilities needed to be addressed, the Russian diplomat stated, using Moscow's terminology for a series of extensive requirements that involve the acknowledgment of complete Moscow control over the Donbas as well as the demilitarisation of the country – a impossible condition for Ukraine and its Western allies.
Zelensky commented conversations concerning the front line were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Russia was "employing all tactics" to evade negotiations.
He additionally stated the only topic that could make Moscow "take notice" was that of the supply of extended-range arms to the Ukrainian military.
Military Considerations
The Russian president's unplanned conversation with Trump recently came ahead of reports that the United States was considering delivering long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine that could potentially strike inside Russia.
The Ukrainian leader asserted it was the Tomahawks issue that had pressured the Kremlin to engage in discussion. The conversation concerning the weapons systems had turned out to be a "strong investment" in diplomacy", he remarked.