Plans for Putin-Trump Summit Shelved Days After Budapest Talks Announced
Currently exist "no arrangements" for American leader President Trump to confer with Russia's Putin "in the near term", a White House official has declared.
Last Thursday Trump stated he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Budapest soon to address the Ukraine conflict.
A initial discussion between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov was due to be held this week - but the administration stated the two had had a "productive" conversation and that a meeting was not "needed".
The White House did not share further information on the reason the negotiations had been put on hold.
Background Context
The US president had raised the possibility of a Budapest summit over the phone with the Russian leader, a day before hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.
Some reports suggested his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "shouting match", with sources indicating Trump had pushed him to cede extensive regions of Ukraine's east as part of a settlement with Russia.
Yet, on this week Trump embraced a ceasefire proposal supported by Ukraine and EU officials to freeze the conflict on the current front line.
"Freeze the lines the way it is," he remarked.
Moscow has consistently objected against halting the present battle positions.
The Russian government was exclusively seeking "permanent resolution", Russia's foreign minister said on Tuesday, suggesting that pausing conflict would merely represent a brief pause.
Negotiating Stances
The "underlying reasons" of the war needed to be addressed, Lavrov stated, using Moscow's terminology for a range of extensive requirements that encompass the recognition of full Russian sovereignty over the Donbas as well as the demilitarisation of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Ukraine and its Western allies.
Zelensky commented conversations concerning the front line were the "start of negotiations" but that Russia was "taking all measures" to evade negotiations.
He additionally stated the exclusive issue that could make Moscow "take notice" was that of the delivery of long-range weapons to the Ukrainian military.
Strategic Factors
The Russian president's unscheduled call with the US leader last Thursday came ahead of rumors that the US was planning to provide distance-capable weapons to Ukrainian forces that could theoretically target deep into Russia.
The Ukrainian leader said it was the weapons consideration that had forced Russia to enter into dialogue. The talk about the missiles had turned out to be a "strong investment" in negotiations", he commented.