🔗 Share this article

Currently exist "no plans" for American leader President Trump to confer with Russian President Putin "in the immediate future", a White House official has announced.

Last Thursday the US president said he and the Kremlin leader would conduct negotiations in Hungary's capital within two weeks to address the war in Ukraine.

A initial discussion between America's top diplomat Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was due to be held this week - but the administration said the two had had a "constructive" discussion and that a meeting was not "required".

The administration withheld any more details on why the talks had been delayed.

Previous Developments

The US president had raised the possibility of a Budapest summit via telephone with the Russian leader, a just prior to meeting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the White House.

Certain accounts suggested his talks with Zelensky had been a "contentious discussion", with insiders suggesting the president had urged him to relinquish large areas of Ukraine's east as part of a deal with Russia.

However, on Monday Trump endorsed a peace initiative endorsed by Kyiv and EU officials to pause the hostilities on the present positions.

"Let it be cut the way it is," he stated.

Moscow has repeatedly pushed back against pausing the existing front lines.

The Russian government was solely focused on "enduring stability", Lavrov said on this week, implying that halting hostilities would only amount to a temporary ceasefire.

Diplomatic Positions

The "fundamental issues" of the hostilities required resolution, Lavrov emphasized, using Moscow's terminology for a range of extensive requirements that include the acceptance of complete Moscow control over the eastern region as well as the disarmament of the country – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its EU supporters.

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

He additionally stated the exclusive issue that could make Moscow "pay attention" was that of the supply of long-range weapons to Ukraine.

Military Considerations

Putin's spontaneous discussion with the US leader recently came ahead of reports that the US was planning to provide distance-capable weapons to Ukrainian forces that could theoretically target Russian territory.

Zelensky asserted it was the weapons consideration that had forced Russia to participate in talks. The discussion regarding the weapons systems had proven to be a "significant input" in diplomacy", he commented.