🔗 Share this article Plans for Putin-Trump Talks Postponed Shortly After Budapest Negotiations Suggested Trump and Putin last met in August in the northern US state and the American leader had said further discussions would take place in Budapest Currently exist "no preparations" for US President Donald Trump to meet Russian President Putin "anytime soon", a White House official has announced. This past week Trump said he and the Russian president would conduct negotiations in Hungary's capital within two weeks to discuss the Ukraine conflict. A initial discussion between America's top diplomat Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was due to be held this week - but the administration clarified the two had had a "positive" call and that a meeting was no longer "needed". The White House did not share further information on the reason the negotiations had been postponed. Previous Developments Trump had discussed a Budapest summit over the phone with the Russian leader, a day before meeting Ukraine's President Zelensky in the White House. Various sources claimed his talks with the Ukrainian leader had been a "contentious discussion", with sources claiming the president had urged him to cede extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a agreement with Russia. Yet, on Monday the American president embraced a ceasefire proposal supported by Ukraine and European leaders to freeze the conflict on the existing battle lines. "Freeze the lines the way it is," he stated. Moscow has consistently objected against halting the present battle positions. Moscow was exclusively seeking "permanent resolution", Lavrov stated on this week, suggesting that halting hostilities would simply constitute a short-term truce. Negotiating Stances The "fundamental issues" of the conflict required resolution, Lavrov emphasized, using Kremlin shorthand for a series of extensive requirements that encompass the acceptance of total Russian authority over the eastern region as well as the demilitarisation of the country – a unacceptable proposition for Ukraine and its European partners. The Ukrainian president commented talks regarding the front line were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Moscow was "employing all tactics" to evade negotiations. He additionally stated the only topic that could cause Russia to "become engaged" was that of the supply of distance-capable munitions to the Ukrainian military. Weapons Discussions The Russian president's spontaneous discussion with the US leader recently preceded reports that the US was preparing to send distance-capable weapons to Ukraine that could theoretically target inside Russia. The Ukrainian leader asserted it was the Tomahawks issue that had pressured the Kremlin to participate in talks. The conversation concerning the missiles had emerged as a "valuable contribution" in international relations", he commented.