Plans for Trump-Putin Meeting Delayed Shortly Following Hungarian Capital Talks Announced

Trump and Putin
Trump and Putin last met in August in the northern US state and the US president had indicated further talks would occur in the Hungarian capital

Currently exist "no preparations" for US President President Trump to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "in the immediate future", a White House official has announced.

This past week the US president said he and the Russian president would conduct negotiations in Hungary's capital within two weeks to examine the ongoing hostilities.

A preparatory meeting between America's top diplomat Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was due to be held this week - but the White House stated the two had had a "positive" conversation and that a meeting was no longer "needed".

The administration withheld further information on the reason the negotiations had been delayed.

Previous Developments

The US president had discussed a Hungarian meeting over the phone with the Russian leader, a just prior to meeting Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Various sources claimed his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "shouting match", with those familiar indicating the president had urged him to relinquish large areas of Ukraine's east as part of a agreement with Russia.

However, on Monday Trump supported a truce plan endorsed by Kyiv and European leaders to freeze the war on the present positions.

"Freeze the lines in its current state," he stated.

Moscow has repeatedly pushed back against freezing the present battle positions.

The Russian government was solely focused on "permanent resolution", Russia's foreign minister said on Tuesday, indicating that halting hostilities would simply constitute a temporary ceasefire.

Diplomatic Positions

The "fundamental issues" of the war needed to be addressed, the Russian diplomat said, using Moscow's terminology for a set of maximalist demands that involve the recognition of complete Moscow control over the Donbas as well as the demilitarisation of Ukraine – a unacceptable proposition for Ukraine and its EU supporters.

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

He additionally stated the sole subject that could cause Russia to "pay attention" was that of the delivery of extended-range arms to the Ukrainian military.

Military Considerations

Putin's unscheduled call with the US leader last Thursday occurred before rumors that the United States was preparing to send distance-capable weapons to Ukrainian forces that could possibly hit inside Russia.

Zelensky asserted it was the Tomahawks issue that had compelled Moscow to enter into dialogue. The conversation concerning the weapons systems had turned out to be a "strong investment" in diplomacy", he commented.

Sarah Jackson
Sarah Jackson

A Berlin-based tech journalist and software developer with over 8 years of experience in digital innovation and cybersecurity.