Plans for Putin-Trump Talks Postponed Shortly Following Hungarian Capital Negotiations Suggested
There are "no arrangements" for US President Donald Trump to confer with Russian President Vladimir Putin "in the immediate future", a administration representative has announced.
Last Thursday the US president indicated he and the Russian president would meet in Hungary's capital soon to address the ongoing hostilities.
A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was planned for this week - but the administration stated the two had had a "constructive" discussion and that a face-to-face session was not "required".
The administration did not share any more details on the reason the negotiations had been postponed.
Previous Developments
The US president had discussed a Hungarian meeting during a call with Putin, a just prior to meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.
Some reports indicated his talks with Zelensky had been a "shouting match", with sources suggesting Trump had urged him to give up significant territories of eastern Ukraine as part of a deal with Russia.
Nevertheless, on this week Trump supported a ceasefire proposal backed by Kyiv and European leaders to pause the conflict on the existing battle lines.
"Freeze the lines the way it is," he remarked.
Russia has frequently resisted against halting the existing front lines.
The Russian government was only interested in "long-term, sustainable peace", Russia's foreign minister said on this week, implying that freezing the front line would simply constitute a brief pause.
Political Perspectives
The "root causes" of the hostilities needed to be addressed, Lavrov stated, using Kremlin shorthand for a range of comprehensive conditions that encompass the recognition of complete Moscow control over the Donbas as well as the demilitarisation of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its Western allies.
The Ukrainian president said talks regarding the front line were the "start of negotiations" but that Moscow was "employing all tactics" to evade negotiations.
He additionally stated the sole subject that could make Moscow "pay attention" was that of the provision of distance-capable munitions to the Ukrainian military.
Weapons Discussions
Putin's unplanned conversation with Trump last Thursday came ahead of rumors that the US was preparing to send extended-range cruise missiles to Ukraine that could theoretically target inside Russia.
Zelensky stated it was the weapons consideration that had compelled Moscow to engage in discussion. The talk about the weapons systems had emerged as a "strong investment" in diplomacy", he added.