🔗 Share this article

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

Last Thursday the US president stated he and the Russian president would conduct negotiations in Budapest in the coming fortnight to address the war in Ukraine.

A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was due to be held this week - but the White House clarified the two had had a "productive" discussion and that a meeting was not "required".

The White House withheld further information on the reason the negotiations had been put on hold.

Earlier Events

Trump had discussed a Hungarian meeting over the phone with the Russian leader, a just prior to hosting Ukraine's President Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Some reports suggested his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "contentious discussion", with sources indicating the president had pressured him to cede significant territories of eastern Ukraine as part of a deal with Russia.

Yet, on Monday Trump endorsed a ceasefire proposal endorsed by Kyiv and European leaders to pause the war on the current front line.

"Let it be cut in its current state," he stated.

Russia has frequently resisted against halting the existing front lines.

Moscow was solely focused on "enduring stability", Russia's foreign minister said on Tuesday, indicating that halting hostilities would only amount to a brief pause.

Political Perspectives

The "root causes" of the hostilities demanded attention, the Russian diplomat said, using Russian diplomatic language for a range of comprehensive conditions that involve the acceptance of complete Moscow control over the eastern region as well as the disarmament of the country – a unacceptable proposition for Ukraine and its Western allies.

The Ukrainian president commented conversations concerning the battle positions were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Russia was "doing everything" to evade negotiations.

He further commented the sole subject that could cause Russia to "pay attention" was that of the supply of extended-range arms to Ukraine.

Military Considerations

Putin's unplanned conversation with the US leader recently came ahead of reports that the United States was preparing to send long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine that could theoretically target deep into Russia.

The Ukrainian leader asserted it was the Tomahawks issue that had compelled Moscow to engage in discussion. The conversation concerning the missiles had turned out to be a "strong investment" in diplomacy", he remarked.