Donald Trump said he did not want a “wasted meeting” after cancelling plans for face-to-face 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 stop fighting along the current front line made any progress impossible.
White House scraps Budapest summit plan
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 both leaders would meet in Budapest within two weeks.
This week exposed the deepening divide between Washington and Moscow over peace proposals, crushing hopes for a breakthrough summit. Trump and Putin last met in Alaska in August during a hastily arranged encounter that delivered no tangible results.
Officials said the White House halted preparations for another meeting to avoid 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.
Talks move from meetings to phone calls
A scheduled 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” phone conversation instead, making an in-person meeting unnecessary.
On Monday, Trump backed a ceasefire plan supported by Kyiv and European leaders to freeze 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.”
Russia rejects calls to freeze front line
The Kremlin has rejected repeated proposals to freeze the current front line. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the idea had been raised several times but that “Russia’s position remains consistent.” Moscow continues to demand the full withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the eastern regions.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said Russia wanted a “long-term, sustainable peace,” arguing that freezing the front line would only bring a temporary ceasefire. He said the “root causes of the conflict” needed to be solved — referring to demands for sovereignty over the Donbas and Ukraine’s demilitarisation. Kyiv and European allies have firmly rejected those terms.
Europe and Kyiv push for diplomatic breakthrough
European leaders joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday in a joint statement urging that peace talks start by freezing the current front line. They accused Russia of not being “serious” about achieving peace.
Zelensky called discussions about the front line “the beginning of diplomacy” and said Moscow was doing everything to avoid them. He added that only continued deliveries of long-range weapons could make Russia “pay attention.”
Tense calls and renewed pressure
Trump discussed a potential Budapest summit with Putin by phone one day before meeting Zelensky at the White House. Reports described the call as heated, with sources saying Trump urged Zelensky to give up parts of the Donbas as part of a possible deal.
Zelensky has repeatedly refused to surrender any Ukrainian territory, warning that Russia could use it to launch future attacks.
Putin’s surprise call with Trump last Thursday followed reports that Washington planned to send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. These weapons can strike targets deep inside Russia.
Zelensky said the missile discussions forced Moscow to re-engage diplomatically. Although he left Washington without new guarantees, he called the talks a “strong investment in diplomacy.”
