Plans for Trump-Putin Talks Shelved Shortly Following Budapest Talks Suggested

There are "no preparations" for US President President Trump to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "in the immediate future", a White House official has declared.

This past week the US president indicated he and the Kremlin leader would hold talks in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to examine the Ukraine conflict.

A initial discussion between America's top diplomat Marco Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was due to be held this week - but the White House said the two had had a "productive" discussion and that a meeting was not "needed".

The administration declined to provide additional specifics on why the talks had been put on hold.

Background Context

The US president had discussed a Budapest summit via telephone with the Russian leader, a day before meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.

Various sources indicated his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "contentious discussion", with insiders indicating Trump had pushed him to cede large areas of Ukraine's east as part of a settlement with Moscow.

Nevertheless, on Monday Trump supported a ceasefire proposal endorsed by Ukraine and EU officials to pause the hostilities on the present positions.

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

Moscow has frequently resisted against halting the current line of contact.

Moscow was exclusively seeking "permanent resolution", Russia's foreign minister stated on this week, suggesting that freezing the front line would simply constitute a short-term truce.

Diplomatic Positions

The "underlying reasons" of the hostilities demanded attention, the Russian diplomat stated, using Kremlin shorthand for a series of extensive requirements that involve the recognition of full Russian sovereignty over the eastern region as well as the demilitarisation of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its European partners.

Zelensky commented conversations concerning the current lines were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Russia was "employing all tactics" to evade negotiations.

He also said the exclusive issue that could cause Russia to "take notice" was that of the delivery of long-range weapons to Ukraine.

Weapons Discussions

Putin's spontaneous discussion with Trump recently preceded rumors that the US was considering delivering extended-range cruise missiles to Ukraine that could possibly hit Russian territory.

The Ukrainian leader said it was the weapons consideration that had forced Russia to participate in talks. The discussion regarding the missiles had emerged as a "valuable contribution" in diplomacy", he remarked.