Preparations for Trump-Putin Meeting Postponed Days Following Budapest Talks Proposed
Currently exist "no preparations" for American leader Donald Trump to confer with Russia's Putin "anytime soon", a administration representative has announced.
This past week Trump indicated he and the Russian president would conduct negotiations in Budapest within two weeks to address the Ukraine conflict.
A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was scheduled to occur this week - but the administration said the two had had a "constructive" call and that a meeting was no longer "needed".
The administration declined to provide further information on why the talks had been postponed.
Earlier Events
The US president had discussed a Hungarian meeting during a call with the Russian leader, a day before hosting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Certain accounts suggested his meeting with Zelensky had been a "contentious discussion", with insiders claiming Trump had pressured him to give up extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a deal with Russia.
Yet, on Monday the American president embraced a ceasefire proposal backed by Kyiv and EU officials to freeze the conflict on the present positions.
"Leave it as is in its current state," he said.
Moscow has repeatedly pushed back against halting the current line of contact.
Moscow was only interested in "permanent resolution", Lavrov said on Tuesday, indicating that freezing the front line would simply constitute a short-term truce.
Negotiating Stances
The "fundamental issues" of the hostilities required resolution, Lavrov emphasized, using Kremlin shorthand for a range of extensive requirements that involve the recognition of full Russian sovereignty over the Donbas as well as the disarmament of Ukraine – a unacceptable proposition for Kyiv and its EU supporters.
Zelensky stated discussions about the current lines were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Moscow was "taking all measures" to prevent dialogue.
He additionally stated the exclusive issue that could cause Russia to "become engaged" was that of the provision of extended-range arms to the Ukrainian military.
Military Considerations
Putin's unplanned conversation with the US leader last Thursday occurred before reports that the US was planning to provide extended-range cruise missiles to Ukrainian forces that could theoretically target inside Russia.
The Ukrainian leader asserted it was the Tomahawks issue that had forced Russia to participate in talks. The talk about the weapons systems had turned out to be a "strong investment" in diplomacy", he remarked.