Arrangements for Putin-Trump Talks Shelved Days Following Budapest Negotiations Suggested
Currently exist "no plans" for US President Donald Trump to confer with Russian President Putin "anytime soon", a administration representative has announced.
Recently Trump stated he and the Russian president would meet in Budapest in the coming fortnight to examine the ongoing hostilities.
A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was due to be held recently - but the White House stated the two had had a "constructive" call and that a face-to-face session was not "necessary".
The White House declined to provide any more details on why the talks had been put on hold.
Background Context
Trump had discussed a Hungarian meeting during a call with Putin, a day before meeting Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Certain accounts indicated his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "shouting match", with those familiar indicating the president had pushed him to cede large areas of Ukraine's east as part of a settlement with Moscow.
Yet, on Monday the American president supported a peace initiative supported by Kyiv and European leaders to pause the hostilities on the existing battle lines.
"Let it be cut the way it is," he remarked.
Moscow has consistently objected against pausing the existing front lines.
Moscow was solely focused on "long-term, sustainable peace", Lavrov commented on Tuesday, implying that halting hostilities would only amount to a brief pause.
Negotiating Stances
The "root causes" of the hostilities needed to be addressed, Lavrov said, using Russian diplomatic language for a series of extensive requirements that include the acceptance of total Russian authority over the Donbas as well as the demilitarisation of the country – a unacceptable proposition for Ukraine and its European partners.
The Ukrainian president said conversations concerning the battle positions were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Moscow was "employing all tactics" to prevent dialogue.
He additionally stated the exclusive issue that could cause Russia to "become engaged" was that of the delivery of long-range weapons to the Ukrainian military.
Military Considerations
The Russian president's unscheduled call with Trump last Thursday preceded reports that the United States was planning to provide extended-range cruise missiles to Ukraine that could possibly hit Russian territory.
The Ukrainian leader said it was the missile discussion that had compelled Moscow to engage in discussion. The conversation concerning the missiles had emerged as a "strong investment" in diplomacy", he commented.