Donald Trump said he did not want a “wasted meeting” after cancelling plans for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine. Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, the US president said Moscow’s refusal to halt fighting along the current front line remained the main obstacle to progress.
White House ends Budapest summit plan
A White House official confirmed there were “no plans” for a Trump-Putin meeting “in the immediate future.” The announcement came just days after Trump had said both leaders would meet in Budapest within two weeks.
Sharp differences between Washington and Moscow over peace terms became evident this week, crushing hopes for a breakthrough summit. Trump and Putin last met in Alaska in August during a hastily organised meeting that achieved no results.
Officials said the decision to cancel another meeting aimed to prevent a repeat of that outcome. “The Russians wanted too much, and it became clear there would be no deal for Trump in Budapest,” a senior European diplomat told Reuters.
Diplomatic contacts continue by phone
A planned meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was also cancelled. The White House said both had a “productive” call instead, making face-to-face talks 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.”
Moscow rejects front line freeze
Russia firmly rejected proposals to freeze the current line of contact. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the idea had been presented several times, but “Russia’s position remains consistent.” Moscow continues to demand the full withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the east.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said Russia 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 Russia’s demands for sovereignty over the Donbas and Ukraine’s demilitarisation. Kyiv and European leaders see these as unacceptable terms.
Europe and Kyiv call for first steps toward peace
European leaders joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a statement on Tuesday urging that peace talks start by freezing the current front line. They accused Russia of not being “serious” about peace efforts.
Zelensky said that discussions about the front line marked “the beginning of diplomacy” and accused Moscow of trying to avoid any such talks. He added that only the continued supply of long-range weapons could make Russia “pay attention.”
Strained calls and shifting strategies
Trump discussed a potential Budapest summit with Putin by phone one day before meeting Zelensky at the White House. Reports later described the call as tense, with sources saying Trump urged Zelensky to surrender parts of the Donbas in a possible deal with Russia.
Zelensky has repeatedly refused to give up any Ukrainian territory, warning that Russia could later use it to launch more attacks.
Putin’s surprise call with Trump last Thursday came as Washington was reportedly preparing to send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, capable of striking targets deep inside Russia.
Zelensky said the missile discussions forced Moscow to engage diplomatically. Although he left Washington without new guarantees, he called the talks a “strong investment in diplomacy.”
