🔗 Share this article

Currently exist "no arrangements" for American leader President Trump to meet Russian President Putin "in the near term", a administration representative has announced.

Last Thursday Trump indicated 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 Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov was due to be held recently - but the White House said the two had had a "positive" call and that a meeting was not "necessary".

The administration did not share additional specifics on the reason the negotiations had been put on hold.

Background Context

Trump had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting via telephone with Putin, a just prior to meeting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Certain accounts indicated his talks with the Ukrainian leader had been a "contentious discussion", with sources suggesting Trump had urged him to give up extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a settlement with Russia.

Yet, on Monday Trump embraced a peace initiative backed by Ukraine and European leaders to freeze the conflict on the existing battle lines.

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

Moscow has consistently objected against halting the present battle positions.

Moscow was only interested in "enduring stability", Russia's foreign minister said on this week, suggesting that pausing conflict would only amount to a short-term truce.

Political Perspectives

The "underlying reasons" of the conflict required resolution, Lavrov stated, using Russian diplomatic language for a range of comprehensive conditions that involve the acceptance of complete Moscow control over the eastern region as well as the military reduction of the country – a impossible condition for Ukraine and its European partners.

The Ukrainian president commented conversations concerning the current lines were the "start of negotiations" but that Moscow was "doing everything" to prevent dialogue.

He additionally stated the exclusive issue that could make Moscow "take notice" was that of the delivery of extended-range arms to Ukraine.

Military Considerations

The Russian president's spontaneous discussion with the US leader last Thursday came ahead of reports that the United States was preparing to send long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukrainian forces that could potentially strike inside Russia.

Zelensky stated it was the weapons consideration that had forced Russia to engage in discussion. The conversation concerning the missiles had turned out to be a "valuable contribution" in negotiations", he added.