Arrangements for Trump-Putin Talks Shelved Shortly After Budapest Talks Suggested
Currently exist "no arrangements" for American leader President Trump to confer with Russia's Vladimir Putin "in the immediate future", a administration representative has declared.
Recently the US president indicated he and the Kremlin leader would hold talks in Budapest in the coming fortnight to examine the ongoing hostilities.
A preparatory meeting between America's top diplomat Marco Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was due to be held recently - but the administration stated the two had had a "positive" discussion and that a face-to-face session was not "needed".
The White House declined to provide further information on the reason the negotiations had been delayed.
Background Context
The US president had discussed a Budapest summit over the phone with Putin, a day before hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Certain accounts indicated his meeting with Zelensky had been a "contentious discussion", with sources indicating the president had pressured him to relinquish extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a settlement with Russia.
Yet, on Monday the American president embraced a truce plan endorsed by Kyiv and EU officials to freeze the hostilities on the present positions.
"Let it be cut where it stands," he said.
Russia has consistently objected against pausing the current line of contact.
Moscow was exclusively seeking "permanent resolution", Russia's foreign minister commented on Tuesday, indicating that freezing the front line would merely represent a temporary ceasefire.
Diplomatic Positions
The "fundamental issues" of the conflict needed to be addressed, the Russian diplomat stated, using Moscow's terminology for a range of extensive requirements that include the recognition of total Russian authority over the Donbas as well as the disarmament of the country – a non-starter for Kyiv and its European partners.
Zelensky said discussions about the battle positions were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Moscow was "doing everything" to avoid diplomacy.
He additionally stated the exclusive issue that could make Moscow "become engaged" was that of the supply of long-range weapons to the Ukrainian military.
Weapons Discussions
Putin's unplanned conversation with Trump recently came ahead of speculation that the United States was preparing to send extended-range cruise missiles to Ukraine that could theoretically target deep into Russia.
Zelensky said it was the missile discussion that had forced Russia to participate in talks. The conversation concerning the weapons systems had turned out to be a "valuable contribution" in negotiations", he remarked.