Preparations for Putin-Trump Talks Delayed Shortly Following Hungarian Capital Talks Announced

Trump and Putin
Putin and Trump last met in late summer in the northern US state and the American leader had said further talks would take place in the Hungarian capital

Currently exist "no arrangements" for US President President Trump to meet Russian President Putin "anytime soon", a White House official has stated.

Recently the US president stated he and the Kremlin leader would conduct negotiations in Budapest within two weeks to examine the war in Ukraine.

A planning session between America's top diplomat Marco Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was due to be held recently - but the administration clarified the two had had a "constructive" conversation and that a face-to-face session was no longer "required".

The White House did not share additional specifics on why the talks had been delayed.

Earlier Events

Trump had discussed a Budapest summit during a call with Putin, a day before meeting Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Various sources claimed his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "heated exchange", with those familiar indicating Trump had urged him to cede significant territories of Ukraine's east as part of a agreement with Moscow.

Yet, on Monday Trump embraced a truce plan backed by Kyiv and European leaders to halt the war on the present positions.

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

Russia has frequently resisted against freezing the present battle positions.

The Russian government was only interested in "enduring stability", Russia's foreign minister commented on Tuesday, suggesting that pausing conflict would simply constitute a brief pause.

Political Perspectives

The "fundamental issues" of the conflict demanded attention, the Russian diplomat emphasized, using Moscow's terminology for a set of extensive requirements that include the recognition of total Russian authority over the eastern region as well as the demilitarisation of the country – a unacceptable proposition for Ukraine and its European partners.

Zelensky said conversations concerning the current lines were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Moscow was "taking all measures" to evade negotiations.

He also said the sole subject that could make Moscow "take notice" was that of the provision of distance-capable munitions to the Ukrainian military.

Strategic Factors

Putin's spontaneous discussion with the US leader last Thursday preceded reports that the United States was preparing to send distance-capable weapons to Ukrainian forces that could possibly hit inside Russia.

The Ukrainian leader said it was the missile discussion that had pressured the Kremlin to participate in talks. The discussion regarding the missiles had turned out to be a "strong investment" in international relations", he added.

Arthur Chavez
Arthur Chavez

A tech journalist and software developer with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and digital trends.