🔗 Share this article

There are "no preparations" for American leader Donald Trump to confer with Russia's Putin "anytime soon", a White House official has stated.

Recently the US president said he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Budapest soon to discuss the Ukraine conflict.

A initial discussion between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was planned for recently - but the White House clarified the two had had a "productive" call and that a meeting was no longer "needed".

The White House declined to provide further information on the reason the negotiations had been put on hold.

Previous Developments

Trump had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting during a call with Putin, a day before meeting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the White House.

Certain accounts suggested his talks with Zelensky had been a "heated exchange", with those familiar claiming the president had pressured him to cede significant territories of Ukraine's east as part of a agreement with Russia.

Yet, on Monday Trump embraced a ceasefire proposal backed by Ukraine and EU officials to halt the war on the current front line.

"Let it be cut the way it is," he said.

Moscow has frequently resisted against freezing the present battle positions.

The Russian government was solely focused on "long-term, sustainable peace", Lavrov stated on this week, implying that pausing conflict would merely represent a brief pause.

Political Perspectives

The "underlying reasons" of the conflict demanded attention, Lavrov said, using Moscow's terminology for a range of extensive requirements that involve the recognition of complete Moscow control over the Donbas as well as the disarmament of Ukraine – a non-starter for Kyiv and its Western allies.

Zelensky commented conversations concerning the current lines were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Russia was "doing everything" to evade negotiations.

He also said the exclusive issue that could make Moscow "become engaged" was that of the supply of extended-range arms to Ukraine.

Weapons Discussions

The Russian president's spontaneous discussion with the US leader recently preceded rumors that the United States was considering delivering distance-capable weapons to Ukraine that could possibly hit inside Russia.

Zelensky said it was the Tomahawks issue that had forced Russia to engage in discussion. The discussion regarding the weapons systems had proven to be a "valuable contribution" in international relations", he commented.