Arrangements for Trump-Putin Meeting Postponed Shortly After Budapest Talks Announced
There are "no plans" for American leader Donald Trump to meet Russian President Putin "anytime soon", a administration representative has declared.
Recently the US president indicated he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Budapest within two weeks to address the Ukraine conflict.
A planning session between America's top diplomat Secretary Rubio and his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov was planned for recently - but the White House clarified the two had had a "productive" discussion and that a face-to-face session was not "necessary".
The administration withheld additional specifics on the reason the negotiations had been postponed.
Background Context
Trump had discussed a Budapest summit during a call with Putin, a just prior to hosting Ukraine's President Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Various sources indicated his meeting with Zelensky had been a "heated exchange", with those familiar suggesting the president had urged him to cede large areas of eastern Ukraine as part of a agreement with Russia.
Yet, on Monday the American president supported a peace initiative backed by Kyiv and European leaders to freeze the conflict on the current front line.
"Freeze the lines in its current state," he stated.
Russia has frequently resisted against pausing the current line of contact.
Moscow was exclusively seeking "permanent resolution", Lavrov said on Tuesday, implying that freezing the front line would merely represent a temporary ceasefire.
Negotiating Stances
The "fundamental issues" of the conflict demanded attention, the Russian diplomat stated, using Russian diplomatic language for a range of extensive requirements that encompass the recognition of full Russian sovereignty over the Donbas as well as the disarmament of the country – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its Western allies.
The Ukrainian president stated conversations concerning the battle positions were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Moscow was "taking all measures" to prevent dialogue.
He further commented the only topic that could cause Russia to "pay attention" was that of the supply of long-range weapons to the Ukrainian military.
Strategic Factors
Putin's unplanned conversation with the US leader last Thursday came ahead of rumors that the US was preparing to send extended-range cruise missiles to Ukrainian forces that could theoretically target Russian territory.
Zelensky said it was the weapons consideration that had forced Russia to participate in talks. The conversation concerning the weapons systems had emerged as a "valuable contribution" in diplomacy", he remarked.