President Donald Trump has postponed his planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin after disagreements over a ceasefire in Ukraine. With Washington supporting a freeze along the current front line and Moscow refusing to compromise on its territorial demands.
Talks postponed amid stalemate on ceasefire negotiations
Plans for a Trump-Putin summit in Budapest have been halted, as both sides failed to agree on conditions for a peace deal in Ukraine.
A White House official confirmed that there are “no plans” for the two leaders to meet in the near future. Moreover, saying that a “productive call” between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made an in-person meeting unnecessary.
Furthermore, Trump said he did not want a “wasted meeting,” pointing to Russia’s unwillingness to halt fighting along the current battle line.
Russia rejects US backed ceasefire proposal
Trump had recently endorsed a ceasefire plan supported by Kyiv and European leaders that would freeze the war along existing front lines.
“Cut and stop at the battle line. Go home. Stop fighting,” Trump said at the White House.
However, Russia rejected the proposal, insisting that any peace agreement must include Ukraine’s withdrawal from eastern regions. Moreover, recognition of Russian control over Donbas.
Additionally, Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s long standing stance that the “root causes” of the conflict must be addressed before any ceasefire agreement. Whereas conditions that Ukraine and Western allies view as unacceptable.
Ukraine and Europe push for diplomatic progress
Ukrainian President said discussions about the front line were “the beginning of diplomacy,” accusing Moscow of avoiding meaningful talks.
European leaders, in a joint statement with Zelenskyy, echoed Trump’s call for an immediate halt to fighting but emphasised that “international borders must not be changed by force.”
Trump’s effort to secure a ceasefire follows his recent success in brokering a peace deal in the Middle East.
But analysts say the talks with Putin underscores the divisions that continue to block a resolution to the Ukraine war.
