Plans for Trump-Putin Meeting Shelved Shortly After Hungarian Capital Negotiations Announced

Trump and Putin
Trump and Putin last met in late summer in Alaska and the US president had said additional talks would take place in the Hungarian capital

Currently exist "no preparations" for American leader President Trump to confer with Russia's Vladimir Putin "anytime soon", a White House official has declared.

Last Thursday the US president stated he and the Kremlin leader would hold talks in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to discuss the Ukraine conflict.

A initial discussion between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was due to be held this week - but the White House stated the two had had a "constructive" conversation and that a face-to-face session was not "required".

The White House withheld further information on why the talks had been postponed.

Background Context

Trump had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting over the phone with Putin, a just prior to meeting Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.

Various sources suggested his talks with the Ukrainian leader had been a "contentious discussion", with those familiar suggesting Trump had urged him to relinquish large areas of Ukraine's east as part of a agreement with Russia.

Yet, on Monday Trump endorsed a truce plan endorsed by Kyiv and European leaders to freeze the conflict on the current front line.

"Leave it as is where it stands," he stated.

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

The Russian government was exclusively seeking "permanent resolution", Lavrov stated on this week, implying that halting hostilities would simply constitute a brief pause.

Political Perspectives

The "underlying reasons" of the conflict required resolution, the Russian diplomat stated, using Moscow's terminology for a set of comprehensive conditions that include the acceptance of complete Moscow control over the eastern region as well as the disarmament of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its European partners.

Zelensky stated conversations concerning the battle positions were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Moscow was "doing everything" to evade negotiations.

He also said the only topic that could make Moscow "take notice" was that of the supply of extended-range arms to Ukraine.

Weapons Discussions

Putin's unscheduled call with Trump recently occurred before rumors that the US was considering delivering extended-range cruise missiles to Ukraine that could theoretically target Russian territory.

Zelensky asserted it was the Tomahawks issue that had forced Russia to engage in discussion. The discussion regarding the weapons systems had turned out to be a "strong investment" in diplomacy", he added.

Keith Simon
Keith Simon

Elena Voss is a productivity coach and software reviewer, specializing in time management tools and digital wellness strategies.