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Currently exist "no preparations" for US President Donald Trump to confer with Russia's Vladimir Putin "anytime soon", a administration representative has stated.

This past week Trump indicated he and the Russian president would meet in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to address the war in Ukraine.

A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was planned for recently - but the White House stated the two had had a "productive" conversation and that a meeting was not "required".

The White House did not share any more details on the reason the negotiations had been postponed.

Background Context

The US president had discussed a Budapest summit via telephone with Putin, a day before meeting Ukraine's President Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Some reports claimed his meeting with Zelensky had been a "contentious discussion", with insiders claiming Trump had urged him to relinquish significant territories of eastern Ukraine as part of a deal with Russia.

However, on this week the American president supported a peace initiative endorsed by Kyiv and EU officials to pause the hostilities on the existing battle lines.

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

Moscow has consistently objected against pausing the current line of contact.

The Russian government was solely focused on "enduring stability", Lavrov commented on Tuesday, implying that halting hostilities would only amount to a temporary ceasefire.

Diplomatic Positions

The "underlying reasons" of the hostilities required resolution, Lavrov emphasized, using Russian diplomatic language for a range of extensive requirements that include the acceptance of full Russian sovereignty over the Donbas as well as the demilitarisation of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Ukraine and its EU supporters.

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

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

Strategic Factors

The Russian president's unplanned conversation with Trump recently came ahead of speculation that the United States was planning to provide distance-capable weapons to Ukrainian forces that could theoretically target Russian territory.

Zelensky stated it was the weapons consideration that had pressured the Kremlin to participate in talks. The conversation concerning the missiles had proven to be a "valuable contribution" in negotiations", he added.