Donald Trump said he did not want a “wasted meeting” after plans for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine were put on hold. Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, the US president said Moscow’s refusal to stop fighting along the current front line remained the main barrier to progress.
Washington halts preparations for Budapest summit
A White House official confirmed there were “no plans” for a Trump-Putin meeting “in the immediate future.” The comment followed Trump’s earlier announcement that the two leaders would meet in Budapest within two weeks.
This week exposed growing differences between Washington and Moscow over peace proposals, ending hopes for a breakthrough summit. Trump and Putin last met in Alaska in August during an urgent meeting that produced no results.
The White House decision to suspend another meeting seemed aimed at avoiding a repeat of that failure. “The Russians wanted too much, and it became clear there would be no deal for Trump in Budapest,” a senior European diplomat told Reuters.
Calls replace cancelled diplomatic meetings
A meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had been scheduled for this week. The White House later said both had held a “productive” phone call instead, making an in-person meeting unnecessary.
On Monday, Trump endorsed a ceasefire proposal backed by Kyiv and European leaders to freeze the fighting along the current battle line. “Let it be cut the way it is,” Trump said. “Cut and stop at the battle line. Go home. Stop fighting, stop killing people.”
Kremlin rejects freezing the battlefield
Russia has repeatedly dismissed calls to freeze the front line. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the idea had been raised several times but that “Russia’s position remains consistent.” Moscow still demands that Ukrainian troops fully withdraw from the contested eastern regions.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said Moscow wanted a “long-term, sustainable peace,” arguing that freezing the front line would only bring a temporary ceasefire. He added that the “root causes of the conflict” must be addressed, referring to demands for recognition of Russian sovereignty over the Donbas and Ukraine’s demilitarisation. Kyiv and European leaders reject those conditions as unacceptable.
Europe and Kyiv demand a first step toward peace
European leaders joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday in a joint statement urging that any future peace talks start with freezing the current front line. They accused Russia of not being “serious” about achieving peace.
Zelensky called front-line talks “the beginning of diplomacy” and said Moscow was doing everything to avoid them. He added that only one issue could make Russia “pay attention” — the continued supply of long-range weapons to Ukraine.
Friction and shifting power before negotiations
Trump had discussed a potential summit in Budapest with Putin by phone one day before meeting Zelensky at the White House. Reports later described the conversation as heated, with sources claiming Trump urged Zelensky to give up parts of the Donbas as part of a possible deal with Russia.
Zelensky has repeatedly rejected surrendering any territory still under Ukrainian control, warning that Moscow could use those areas to launch new offensives.
Putin’s unexpected call with Trump last Thursday came amid reports that Washington planned to send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. These weapons can strike deep inside Russian territory.
Zelensky said the missile issue had forced Moscow to engage in talks. Despite leaving Washington without firm commitments, he called the Tomahawk discussions a “strong investment in diplomacy.”
