🔗 Share this article

Currently exist "no preparations" for US President Donald Trump to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin "in the near term", a White House official has stated.

Last Thursday the US president stated he and the Russian president would meet in Budapest within two weeks to address the Ukraine conflict.

A planning session between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov was due to be held this week - but the administration stated the two had had a "constructive" conversation and that a face-to-face session was not "necessary".

The White House did not share further information on why the talks had been delayed.

Background Context

Trump had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting via telephone with the Russian leader, a just prior to meeting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the White House.

Certain accounts indicated his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "shouting match", with sources indicating the president had urged him to give up extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a agreement with Russia.

However, on Monday the American president supported a ceasefire proposal supported by Kyiv and European leaders to halt the conflict on the present positions.

"Leave it as is in its current state," he stated.

Moscow has frequently resisted against pausing the present battle positions.

Moscow was exclusively seeking "enduring stability", Lavrov commented on this week, suggesting that halting hostilities would only amount to a temporary ceasefire.

Negotiating Stances

The "root causes" of the war demanded attention, 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 Kyiv and its Western allies.

Zelensky commented discussions about the front line were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Moscow was "employing all tactics" to prevent dialogue.

He additionally stated the exclusive issue that could cause Russia to "become engaged" was that of the provision of distance-capable munitions to Ukraine.

Military Considerations

Putin's spontaneous discussion with Trump last Thursday occurred before reports that the United States was considering delivering long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukrainian forces that could potentially strike Russian territory.

Zelensky said it was the weapons consideration that had forced Russia to engage in discussion. The talk about the missiles had turned out to be a "significant input" in international relations", he remarked.