Arrangements for Putin-Trump Talks Delayed Days After Hungarian Capital Talks Announced
There are "no arrangements" for US President Donald Trump to meet Russia's Putin "in the near term", a administration representative has declared.
This past week the US president stated he and the Russian president would conduct negotiations in Hungary's capital within two weeks to examine the Ukraine conflict.
A initial discussion between America's top diplomat Marco Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was scheduled to occur this week - but the White House said the two had had a "constructive" conversation and that a meeting was not "necessary".
The White House withheld further information on the reason the negotiations had been put on hold.
Previous Developments
The US president had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting via telephone with the Russian leader, a day before hosting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Some reports suggested his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "shouting match", with insiders claiming Trump had urged him to cede extensive regions of Ukraine's east as part of a deal with Russia.
However, on this week the American president embraced a truce plan supported by Ukraine and European leaders to freeze the war on the current front line.
"Let it be cut where it stands," he remarked.
Russia has repeatedly pushed back against freezing the current line of contact.
The Russian government was solely focused on "enduring stability", Lavrov commented on Tuesday, indicating that freezing the front line would simply constitute a short-term truce.
Political Perspectives
The "root causes" of the hostilities demanded attention, Lavrov stated, using Kremlin shorthand for a series of comprehensive conditions that involve the recognition of full Russian sovereignty over the eastern region as well as the disarmament of the country – a non-starter for Kyiv and its Western allies.
Zelensky said discussions about the current lines were the "start of negotiations" but that Moscow was "taking all measures" to prevent dialogue.
He further commented the exclusive issue that could make Moscow "pay attention" was that of the supply of distance-capable munitions to Ukraine.
Military Considerations
The Russian president's unscheduled call with the US leader last Thursday preceded speculation that the US was preparing to send long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine that could theoretically target Russian territory.
The Ukrainian leader said it was the Tomahawks issue that had pressured the Kremlin to participate in talks. The talk about the weapons systems had turned out to be a "strong investment" in diplomacy", he added.