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There are "no plans" for American leader Donald Trump to meet Russian President Putin "anytime soon", a White House official has stated.

This past week Trump stated he and the Kremlin leader would conduct negotiations in Budapest soon to discuss the Ukraine conflict.

A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was planned for this week - but the White House said the two had had a "constructive" conversation and that a meeting was not "needed".

The administration did not share any more details on the reason the negotiations had been put on hold.

Background Context

Trump had discussed a Budapest summit via telephone with the Russian leader, a day before meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Various sources indicated his talks with Zelensky had been a "shouting match", with those familiar claiming the president had pressured him to give up extensive regions of Ukraine's east as part of a settlement with Moscow.

Nevertheless, on this week Trump endorsed a truce plan supported by Ukraine and European leaders to halt the conflict on the present positions.

"Let it be cut where it stands," he stated.

Moscow has repeatedly pushed back against halting the present battle positions.

The Russian government was exclusively seeking "long-term, sustainable peace", Russia's foreign minister stated on this week, indicating that pausing conflict would merely represent a short-term truce.

Political Perspectives

The "fundamental issues" of the conflict needed to be addressed, the Russian diplomat emphasized, using Kremlin shorthand for a range of comprehensive conditions that encompass the recognition of complete Moscow control over the Donbas as well as the military reduction of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its EU supporters.

The Ukrainian president commented discussions about the current lines were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Moscow was "employing all tactics" to evade negotiations.

He also said the only topic that could make Moscow "pay attention" was that of the supply of distance-capable munitions to Ukraine.

Weapons Discussions

Putin's unscheduled call with the US leader recently preceded speculation that the US was planning to provide long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukrainian forces that could theoretically target inside Russia.

Zelensky asserted it was the Tomahawks issue that had forced Russia to participate in talks. The discussion regarding the missiles had turned out to be a "significant input" in negotiations", he added.