🔗 Share this article

Currently exist "no arrangements" for US President Donald Trump to confer with Russia's Vladimir Putin "anytime soon", a administration representative has announced.

Last Thursday Trump indicated he and the Russian president would meet in Hungary's capital soon to discuss the war in Ukraine.

A initial discussion between America's top diplomat Secretary Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov was due to be held recently - but the administration stated the two had had a "constructive" call and that a face-to-face session was no longer "needed".

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

Background Context

Trump had discussed a Hungarian meeting via telephone with the Russian leader, a day before meeting Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.

Various sources claimed his meeting with Zelensky had been a "contentious discussion", with those familiar indicating Trump had pressured him to cede significant territories of eastern Ukraine as part of a settlement with Russia.

Nevertheless, on Monday Trump supported a truce plan backed by Kyiv and European leaders to halt the hostilities on the existing battle lines.

"Leave it as is where it stands," he said.

Moscow has frequently resisted against halting the present battle positions.

Moscow was only interested in "permanent resolution", Lavrov stated on this week, implying that halting hostilities would simply constitute a temporary ceasefire.

Diplomatic Positions

The "root causes" of the hostilities demanded attention, Lavrov said, using Russian diplomatic language for a range of comprehensive conditions that encompass the acknowledgment of total Russian authority over the Donbas as well as the demilitarisation of the country – a non-starter for Kyiv and its Western allies.

Zelensky stated discussions about the front line were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Russia was "taking all measures" to avoid diplomacy.

He further commented the sole subject that could make Moscow "pay attention" was that of the supply of extended-range arms to the Ukrainian military.

Strategic Factors

The Russian president's unplanned conversation with the US leader last Thursday occurred before speculation that the United States was preparing to send distance-capable weapons to Ukrainian forces that could potentially strike deep into Russia.

Zelensky asserted it was the missile discussion that had compelled Moscow to participate in talks. The talk about the weapons systems had emerged as a "significant input" in international relations", he remarked.