🔗 Share this article

Currently exist "no arrangements" for US President Donald Trump to meet Russia's Putin "in the immediate future", a administration representative has announced.

Last Thursday the US president indicated he and the Russian president would meet in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to examine the ongoing hostilities.

A planning session between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was due to be held this week - but the White House said the two had had a "positive" call and that a face-to-face session was no longer "required".

The White House declined to provide further information on why the talks had been put on hold.

Previous Developments

Trump had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting via telephone with the Russian leader, a just prior to meeting Ukraine's President Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Certain accounts claimed his talks with Zelensky had been a "heated exchange", with sources indicating Trump had pushed him to give up large areas of Ukraine's east as part of a deal with Moscow.

However, on Monday Trump endorsed a peace initiative backed by Kyiv and EU officials to freeze the conflict on the existing battle lines.

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

Russia has consistently objected against halting the existing front lines.

The Russian government was only interested in "long-term, sustainable peace", Lavrov stated on Tuesday, suggesting that halting hostilities would only amount to a temporary ceasefire.

Diplomatic Positions

The "underlying reasons" of the war needed to be addressed, Lavrov said, using Russian diplomatic language for a set of extensive requirements that encompass the acceptance of full Russian sovereignty over the eastern region as well as the disarmament of the country – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its EU supporters.

Zelensky commented discussions about the battle positions were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Moscow was "employing all tactics" to avoid diplomacy.

He also said the only topic that could cause Russia to "become engaged" was that of the provision of extended-range arms to the Ukrainian military.

Weapons Discussions

Putin's unplanned conversation with the US leader last Thursday occurred before speculation that the US was considering delivering distance-capable weapons to Ukraine that could theoretically target Russian territory.

The Ukrainian leader asserted it was the missile discussion that had compelled Moscow to enter into dialogue. The conversation concerning the missiles had proven to be a "significant input" in negotiations", he remarked.