Plans for Trump-Putin Talks Postponed Days Following Hungarian Capital Negotiations Announced

Currently exist "no plans" for American leader President Trump to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin "in the immediate future", a White House official has announced.

Last Thursday Trump indicated he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to examine the ongoing hostilities.

A preparatory meeting between America's top diplomat Marco Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was planned for recently - but the White House said the two had had a "constructive" discussion and that a face-to-face session was no longer "needed".

The White House did not share additional specifics on the reason the negotiations had been delayed.

Earlier Events

Trump had discussed a Hungarian meeting during a call with the Russian leader, a day before hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.

Various sources suggested his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "shouting match", with insiders claiming Trump had urged him to give up extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a deal with Moscow.

However, on this week the American president endorsed a ceasefire proposal backed by Ukraine and EU officials to freeze the conflict on the existing battle lines.

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

Moscow has repeatedly pushed back against halting the existing front lines.

The Russian government was exclusively seeking "enduring stability", Lavrov stated on Tuesday, indicating that pausing conflict would only amount to a brief pause.

Diplomatic Positions

The "underlying reasons" of the hostilities required resolution, the Russian diplomat said, using Kremlin shorthand for a range of extensive requirements that involve the recognition of total Russian authority over the eastern region as well as the disarmament of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its EU supporters.

Zelensky said conversations concerning the current lines were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Moscow was "employing all tactics" to avoid diplomacy.

He additionally stated the only topic that could cause Russia to "become engaged" was that of the delivery of distance-capable munitions to Ukraine.

Strategic Factors

Putin's unscheduled call with Trump last Thursday preceded rumors that the US was considering delivering extended-range cruise missiles to Ukrainian forces that could theoretically target inside Russia.

The Ukrainian leader said it was the weapons consideration that had pressured the Kremlin to enter into dialogue. The discussion regarding the weapons systems had turned out to be a "strong investment" in international relations", he remarked.