White House: 'There are no plans in the immediate future' for a meeting between Trump and Putin
According to the White House, a preparatory meeting scheduled for this week between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was replaced by a phone call that was described as "productive."
President Donald Trump with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
A White House official said there are no plans for a meeting in the "immediate future" between U.S. President Donald Trump, and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on the prospect of the two leaders meeting in Budapest in two weeks to discuss the war in Ukraine.
According to the White House, a preparatory meeting scheduled for this week between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, was replaced by a phone call that was described as "productive." However, the White House noted that such a face-to-face meeting was no longer "necessary," according to a report from the BBC.
For its part, Russia on Tuesday rejected Trump's proposal for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine based on current front lines. Sergei Lavrov, in a blunt statement, said that freezing the fighting now would be tantamount to ignoring the "root causes" of the conflict, referring to Moscow's demands that Ukraine adopt non-aligned status, renounce membership in NATO and accept strict restrictions on its military capabilities.
Lavrov also hinted that a ceasefire under current conditions a “large part of Ukraine would remain under Nazi rule,” reiterating the Kremlin's narrative that seeks to justify its military intervention with the need for regime change in Kyiv.
Alaska summit left behind
These statements contrast with the agreements reached at the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska in August.
Last Saturday, Trump again insisted that both sides should "stop the war immediately" and return "home to their families," a stance that was backed by a joint statement from European leaders, including Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and senior officials from the European Union.
According to CNN, plans for a meeting between Rubio and Lavrov this week were suspended due to disagreements over terms to end the conflict and Russia's intransigent stance. Lavrov, for his part, insisted that any agreement must address the Kremlin's demands, which include ceding more Ukrainian territory.
Russia's demands and the European Union's backing for Ukraine
As tensions persist, the possibility of a summit between Trump and Putin in Budapest seems increasingly distant. For now, talks between Rubio and Lavrov will continue by telephone.
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