Donald Trump said he did not want a “wasted meeting” after plans for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine were suspended. Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, the US president said Moscow’s refusal to halt fighting along the current front line remained the key obstacle to peace.
White House drops plans for Budapest summit
A White House official confirmed there were “no plans” for a Trump-Putin meeting “in the immediate future.” The statement came only days after Trump had announced that both leaders would meet in Budapest within two weeks.
This week exposed deep differences between Washington and Moscow over possible peace proposals, shattering hopes for a breakthrough summit. Trump and Putin last met in Alaska in August during a hastily arranged meeting that achieved no tangible results.
The White House decision to cancel a second meeting appeared designed to avoid another failed encounter. “The Russians wanted too much, and it became clear there would be no deal for Trump in Budapest,” a senior European diplomat told Reuters.
Diplomacy shifts from meetings to phone calls
A planned meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was cancelled this week. The White House said both officials had a “productive” phone conversation instead, making a face-to-face session unnecessary.
On Monday, Trump endorsed a ceasefire proposal supported by Kyiv and European leaders to freeze the fighting along the current front 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.”
Moscow rejects proposal to freeze the front
Russia has firmly rejected suggestions to freeze the current line of contact. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the idea had been raised several times but that “Russia’s position remains consistent.” Moscow continues to demand that Ukrainian troops withdraw fully from the eastern regions.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said Russia sought “long-term, sustainable peace,” insisting that freezing the battle line would bring only a temporary truce. He said the “root causes of the conflict” must be resolved — Kremlin language for demands such as recognition of Russian sovereignty over the Donbas and Ukraine’s demilitarisation. Kyiv and European leaders reject those conditions outright.
Europe and Kyiv push for new diplomatic steps
European leaders joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday in a joint statement urging that peace talks start with freezing the current front line. They accused Russia of not being “serious” about peace efforts.
Zelensky called the discussion of the front line “the beginning of diplomacy” and said Moscow was doing everything to avoid it. He added that only one issue could make Russia “pay attention” — the continued delivery of long-range weapons to Ukraine.
Rising tensions and failed negotiations
Trump had discussed a potential Budapest summit with Putin by phone one day before meeting Zelensky at the White House. Reports later described the conversation as tense, with sources saying Trump urged Zelensky to surrender parts of the Donbas as part of a possible deal with Russia.
Zelensky has repeatedly refused to give up any Ukrainian territory, warning that Russia could use it to launch new attacks in the future.
Putin’s unexpected call with Trump last Thursday followed reports that Washington planned to send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. These missiles can strike deep inside Russian territory.
Zelensky said the missile discussions had forced Moscow to engage diplomatically. Despite leaving Washington without concrete promises, he called the Tomahawk talks a “strong investment in diplomacy.”
