Arrangements for Trump-Putin Talks Shelved Days After Budapest Negotiations Announced

Trump and Putin
Trump and Putin previously convened in late summer in Alaska and the US president had said additional talks would take place in Budapest

Currently exist "no plans" for American leader Donald Trump to meet Russia's Putin "anytime soon", a White House official has stated.

Recently Trump stated he and the Kremlin leader would hold talks in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to examine the Ukraine conflict.

A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was scheduled to occur this week - but the White House stated the two had had a "positive" discussion and that a face-to-face session was no longer "needed".

The White House withheld any more details on why the talks had been postponed.

Previous Developments

The US president had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting via telephone with Putin, a day before meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Various sources claimed his talks with Zelensky had been a "heated exchange", with those familiar indicating Trump had pressured him to cede large areas of Ukraine's east as part of a settlement with Russia.

Yet, on this week the American president endorsed a truce plan supported by Kyiv and EU officials to halt the hostilities on the present positions.

"Let it be cut the way it is," he stated.

Russia has consistently objected against pausing the current line of contact.

Moscow was exclusively seeking "permanent resolution", Russia's foreign minister said on Tuesday, implying that freezing the front line would simply constitute a brief pause.

Political Perspectives

The "fundamental issues" of the hostilities required resolution, Lavrov stated, using Russian diplomatic language for a set of extensive requirements that include the acknowledgment of total Russian authority over the Donbas as well as the demilitarisation of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Ukraine and its EU supporters.

Zelensky said discussions about the battle positions were the "start of negotiations" but that Russia was "employing all tactics" to prevent dialogue.

He further commented the only topic that could cause Russia to "take notice" was that of the supply of distance-capable munitions to Ukraine.

Strategic Factors

Putin's unplanned conversation with Trump recently occurred before speculation that the US was planning to provide distance-capable weapons to Ukrainian forces that could potentially strike deep into Russia.

Zelensky said it was the Tomahawks issue that had compelled Moscow to engage in discussion. The discussion regarding the missiles had emerged as a "valuable contribution" in diplomacy", he remarked.

Michael Williams
Michael Williams

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