Arrangements for Trump-Putin Talks Delayed Days After Hungarian Capital Negotiations Suggested
There are "no plans" for US President Donald Trump to confer with Russia's Putin "anytime soon", a administration representative has stated.
Recently the US president stated he and the Kremlin leader would conduct negotiations in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to examine the Ukraine conflict.
A initial discussion between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was scheduled to occur this week - but the White House stated the two had had a "positive" conversation and that a face-to-face session was not "necessary".
The administration declined to provide additional specifics on the reason the negotiations had been put on hold.
Previous Developments
The US president had discussed a Hungarian meeting via telephone with the Russian leader, a day before hosting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Some reports indicated his meeting with Zelensky had been a "contentious discussion", with insiders suggesting Trump had pressured him to relinquish extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a settlement with Russia.
Yet, on Monday the American president embraced a ceasefire proposal backed by Ukraine and European leaders to halt the war on the existing battle lines.
"Freeze the lines where it stands," he stated.
Russia has frequently resisted against halting the current line of contact.
Moscow was solely focused on "long-term, sustainable peace", Lavrov stated on this week, suggesting that pausing conflict would simply constitute a temporary ceasefire.
Diplomatic Positions
The "underlying reasons" of the hostilities needed to be addressed, the Russian diplomat stated, using Moscow's terminology for a series of comprehensive conditions that include the acknowledgment of full Russian sovereignty over the Donbas as well as the military reduction of Ukraine – a unacceptable proposition for Ukraine and its Western allies.
Zelensky stated conversations concerning the current lines were the "start of negotiations" but that Moscow was "doing everything" to avoid diplomacy.
He further commented the exclusive issue that could cause Russia to "become engaged" was that of the delivery of distance-capable munitions to the Ukrainian military.
Military Considerations
Putin's unscheduled call with Trump recently occurred before rumors that the United States was considering delivering long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukrainian forces that could possibly hit inside Russia.
Zelensky stated it was the missile discussion that had pressured the Kremlin to enter into dialogue. The discussion regarding the weapons systems had turned out to be a "significant input" in international relations", he added.