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There are "no arrangements" for American leader President Trump to meet Russian President Putin "in the immediate future", a administration representative has stated.

Last Thursday Trump stated he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Budapest soon to discuss the war in Ukraine.

A preparatory meeting between America's top diplomat Secretary Rubio and his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov was planned for this week - but the White House stated the two had had a "productive" conversation and that a face-to-face session was not "required".

The White House withheld further information on why the talks had been delayed.

Background Context

Trump had raised the possibility of a Budapest summit via telephone with Putin, a day before hosting Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Various sources suggested his meeting with Zelensky had been a "shouting match", with those familiar indicating the president had pushed him to relinquish significant territories of eastern Ukraine as part of a deal with Russia.

However, on this week Trump endorsed a peace initiative endorsed by Ukraine and EU officials to freeze the conflict on the current front line.

"Freeze the lines in its current state," he stated.

Russia has frequently resisted against halting the current line of contact.

The Russian government was solely focused on "enduring stability", Lavrov said on this week, suggesting that halting hostilities would only amount to a temporary ceasefire.

Negotiating Stances

The "root causes" of the conflict needed to be addressed, Lavrov stated, using Kremlin shorthand for a range of extensive requirements that involve the acknowledgment of complete Moscow control over the eastern region as well as the military reduction of the country – a unacceptable proposition for Kyiv and its Western allies.

The Ukrainian president said talks regarding the front line were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Moscow was "taking all measures" to prevent dialogue.

He additionally stated the sole subject that could make Moscow "pay attention" was that of the delivery of extended-range arms to Ukraine.

Strategic Factors

The Russian president's unplanned conversation with Trump last Thursday came ahead of rumors that the US was preparing to send long-range Tomahawk missiles 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 missiles had emerged as a "significant input" in negotiations", he added.