Preparations for Putin-Trump Talks Delayed Shortly After Hungarian Capital Negotiations Suggested

Trump and Putin
Putin and Trump last met in August in Alaska and the American leader had indicated further discussions would occur in the Hungarian capital

Currently exist "no plans" for US President Donald Trump to confer with Russian President Putin "anytime soon", a administration representative has announced.

This past week the US president said he and the Russian president would hold talks in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to discuss the ongoing hostilities.

A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov was planned for this week - but the White House clarified the two had had a "productive" call and that a meeting was not "required".

The administration declined to provide further information on the reason the negotiations had been delayed.

Previous Developments

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

Certain accounts indicated his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "contentious discussion", with sources suggesting the president had pressured him to cede extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a settlement with Russia.

Yet, on this week the American president endorsed a peace initiative endorsed by Ukraine and European leaders to halt the war on the present positions.

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

Moscow has consistently objected against freezing the present battle positions.

Moscow was only interested in "enduring stability", Russia's foreign minister stated on this week, indicating that freezing the front line would simply constitute a temporary ceasefire.

Negotiating Stances

The "fundamental issues" of the hostilities required resolution, the Russian diplomat stated, using Russian diplomatic language for a series of comprehensive conditions that involve the recognition of complete Moscow control over the Donbas as well as the military reduction of the country – a non-starter for Ukraine and its EU supporters.

The Ukrainian president said discussions about the current lines were the "start of negotiations" but that Russia was "taking all measures" to avoid diplomacy.

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

Military Considerations

The Russian president's unscheduled call with Trump recently occurred before speculation that the United States was planning to provide extended-range cruise missiles to Ukraine that could possibly hit deep into Russia.

Zelensky said it was the weapons consideration that had compelled Moscow to participate in talks. The conversation concerning the missiles had emerged as a "strong investment" in negotiations", he added.

Michelle Cantrell
Michelle Cantrell

A passionate gamer and tech writer with over a decade of experience covering industry trends and game development.