Arrangements for Putin-Trump Meeting Delayed Days Following Hungarian Capital Talks Suggested

Trump and Putin
Putin and Trump last met in August in the northern US state and the American leader had said additional discussions would occur in Budapest

Currently exist "no arrangements" for American leader President Trump to meet Russian President Putin "anytime soon", a White House official has declared.

Recently Trump said he and the Russian president would hold talks in Hungary's capital within two weeks to address the ongoing hostilities.

A planning session between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was due to be held recently - but the White House clarified the two had had a "positive" discussion and that a face-to-face session was not "necessary".

The White House did not share additional specifics on why the talks had been put on hold.

Background Context

Trump had raised the possibility of a Budapest summit during a call with Putin, a just prior to meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.

Various sources indicated his meeting with Zelensky had been a "contentious discussion", with sources indicating the president had urged him to cede extensive regions of Ukraine's east as part of a settlement with Russia.

Nevertheless, on this week the American president embraced a truce plan supported by Kyiv and European leaders to halt the war on the existing battle lines.

"Let it be cut in its current state," he stated.

Russia has repeatedly pushed back against pausing the present battle positions.

Moscow was only interested in "long-term, sustainable peace", Lavrov commented on Tuesday, suggesting that freezing the front line would only amount to a short-term truce.

Diplomatic Positions

The "fundamental issues" of the hostilities required resolution, Lavrov stated, using Moscow's terminology for a set of comprehensive conditions that include the recognition of complete Moscow control over the eastern region as well as the demilitarisation of Ukraine – a unacceptable proposition for Kyiv and its EU supporters.

The Ukrainian president stated talks regarding the current lines were the "start of negotiations" but that Moscow was "doing everything" to avoid diplomacy.

He also said the sole subject that could cause Russia to "become engaged" was that of the supply of extended-range arms to Ukraine.

Military Considerations

Putin's unplanned conversation with Trump last Thursday came ahead of reports that the US was planning to provide distance-capable weapons to Ukraine that could possibly hit Russian territory.

The Ukrainian leader asserted it was the Tomahawks issue that had compelled Moscow to participate in talks. The discussion regarding the weapons systems had turned out to be a "significant input" in diplomacy", he remarked.

Deborah Rodriguez
Deborah Rodriguez

A seasoned travel writer and photographer with a passion for uncovering hidden gems and sharing authentic stories from around the globe.