Preparations for Trump-Putin Meeting Delayed Days After Hungarian Capital Talks Announced

Trump and Putin
Trump and Putin previously convened in August in Alaska and the US president had said additional talks would take place in the Hungarian capital

There are "no preparations" for American leader President Trump to meet Russian President Putin "in the immediate future", a White House official has stated.

This past week Trump indicated he and the Russian president would conduct negotiations in Budapest in the coming fortnight to examine the war in Ukraine.

A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was planned for recently - but the administration said the two had had a "productive" conversation and that a meeting was no longer "needed".

The White House did not share any more details on the reason the negotiations had been postponed.

Earlier Events

The US president had discussed a Hungarian meeting during a call with Putin, a just prior to hosting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Certain accounts claimed his talks with Zelensky had been a "heated exchange", with those familiar claiming the president had pushed him to relinquish extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a deal with Russia.

However, on Monday the American president endorsed a peace initiative supported by Kyiv and EU officials to freeze the hostilities on the present positions.

"Freeze the lines where it stands," he stated.

Moscow has repeatedly pushed back against halting the present battle positions.

Moscow was exclusively seeking "permanent resolution", Russia's foreign minister commented on Tuesday, suggesting that halting hostilities would simply constitute a brief pause.

Political Perspectives

The "root causes" of the conflict required resolution, Lavrov said, using Russian diplomatic language for a set of extensive requirements that encompass the recognition of complete Moscow control over the Donbas as well as the military reduction of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its European partners.

Zelensky stated discussions about the current lines were the "start of negotiations" but that Moscow was "employing all tactics" to prevent dialogue.

He also said the only topic that could make Moscow "pay attention" was that of the delivery of extended-range arms to the Ukrainian military.

Strategic Factors

The Russian president's unscheduled call with Trump last Thursday occurred before reports that the US was preparing to send long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukrainian forces that could potentially strike Russian territory.

Zelensky asserted it was the missile discussion that had pressured the Kremlin to enter into dialogue. The discussion regarding the weapons systems had turned out to be a "significant input" in negotiations", he added.

Jennifer Barron
Jennifer Barron

Tech enthusiast and lifestyle blogger with a passion for gaming and digital innovation.