Plans for Putin-Trump Meeting Shelved Shortly Following Budapest Talks Suggested

Trump and Putin
Putin and Trump last met in August in the northern US state and the US president had said additional talks would take place in the Hungarian capital

Currently exist "no plans" for US President President Trump to confer with Russian President Putin "in the near term", a White House official has stated.

Recently Trump indicated he and the Kremlin leader would conduct negotiations in Hungary's capital soon to discuss the ongoing hostilities.

A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was scheduled to occur recently - but the White House stated the two had had a "positive" conversation and that a meeting was no longer "needed".

The administration did not share any more details on the reason the negotiations had been delayed.

Background Context

The US president had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting during a call with Putin, a just prior to hosting Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Some reports indicated his talks with the Ukrainian leader had been a "contentious discussion", with those familiar claiming the president had pushed him to cede extensive regions of Ukraine's east as part of a deal with Russia.

Yet, on this week Trump endorsed a truce plan backed by Kyiv and European leaders to halt the hostilities on the current front line.

"Let it be cut where it stands," he said.

Moscow has frequently resisted against halting the existing front lines.

Moscow was solely focused on "permanent resolution", Lavrov said on Tuesday, indicating that pausing conflict would merely represent a temporary ceasefire.

Political Perspectives

The "fundamental issues" of the conflict demanded attention, the Russian diplomat emphasized, using Kremlin shorthand for a series of maximalist demands that encompass the acknowledgment of full Russian sovereignty over the eastern region as well as the military reduction of Ukraine – a non-starter for Kyiv and its EU supporters.

Zelensky said discussions about the battle positions were the "start of negotiations" but that Russia was "doing everything" to evade negotiations.

He also said the sole subject that could cause Russia to "take notice" was that of the provision of long-range weapons to Ukraine.

Military Considerations

Putin's spontaneous discussion with the US leader last Thursday preceded rumors that the US was planning to provide distance-capable weapons to Ukraine that could possibly hit inside Russia.

Zelensky stated it was the weapons consideration that had forced Russia to participate in talks. The talk about the missiles had turned out to be a "strong investment" in international relations", he commented.

Colin Palmer
Colin Palmer

A seasoned casino analyst with over a decade of experience in gaming strategy and industry trends.

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