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 blocked any chance of real progress.
White House shelves Budapest summit
A White House official confirmed there were “no plans” for a Trump-Putin meeting “in the immediate future.” The announcement came only days after Trump had said the two leaders would meet in Budapest within two weeks.
This week exposed growing differences between the US and Russia over peace proposals, effectively ending hopes for a breakthrough summit. Trump and Putin last met in Alaska in August during a rushed meeting that achieved no concrete results.
Officials said the White House chose to cancel another meeting to avoid a similar 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.
Phone diplomacy replaces planned meetings
A planned meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was also dropped. The White House said the two had a “productive” phone call instead, making an in-person meeting unnecessary.
On Monday, Trump backed a ceasefire proposal supported by Kyiv and European leaders to freeze the conflict 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 calls to stop at current lines
The Kremlin dismissed the idea of freezing the current front line. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the proposal had been raised several times but that “Russia’s position remains consistent.” Moscow continues to demand the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the east.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said Russia wanted a “long-term, sustainable peace,” insisting that freezing the front line would only create a temporary ceasefire. He said the “root causes of the conflict” must be addressed — a phrase referring to Moscow’s demands for sovereignty over the Donbas and the demilitarisation of Ukraine. Kyiv and European leaders view these terms as unacceptable.
Europe and Kyiv call for renewed talks
European leaders joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a joint statement on Tuesday urging peace talks to begin with freezing the current front line. They accused Russia of not being “serious” about achieving peace.
Zelensky described front-line discussions as “the beginning of diplomacy” and said Moscow was trying to avoid any talks. He added that only one issue could make Russia “pay attention” — the continued supply of long-range weapons to Ukraine.
Rising tensions before possible negotiations
Trump discussed a potential Budapest summit with Putin by phone one day before meeting Zelensky at the White House. Reports described the call as tense, with sources saying Trump urged Zelensky to give up parts of the Donbas in a potential deal.
Zelensky has consistently refused to cede any Ukrainian territory, warning that Russia could use it later to launch new attacks.
Putin’s unexpected call with Trump last Thursday followed reports that Washington was preparing to send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, capable of hitting targets deep inside Russia.
Zelensky said the missile discussions forced Moscow to re-engage in diplomacy. Although he left Washington without concrete commitments, he called the talks a “strong investment in diplomacy.”
