Donald Trump said he did not want a “wasted meeting” after scrapping plans for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over 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 meaningful progress.
White House ends plans for Budapest summit
A White House official confirmed there were “no plans” for a Trump-Putin meeting “in the immediate future.” The statement came just days after Trump had said both leaders would meet in Budapest within two weeks.
Differences between Washington and Moscow over peace proposals became increasingly clear this week, dashing hopes for a breakthrough summit. Trump and Putin last met in Alaska in August during a hastily organised session that produced no results.
Officials said the White House cancelled a second meeting to avoid repeating that failure. “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 calls replace face-to-face diplomacy
A planned meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was also cancelled. The White House said both officials had a “productive” phone call instead, making in-person discussions unnecessary.
On Monday, Trump endorsed a ceasefire plan backed 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.”
Kremlin rejects front line freeze
Russia has consistently rejected proposals to freeze the current line of contact. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the idea had been raised repeatedly, but “Russia’s position remains consistent.” Moscow continues to demand the full withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the eastern regions.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said Russia sought a “long-term, sustainable peace,” arguing that freezing the front line would only create a temporary ceasefire. He added that the “root causes of the conflict” must be addressed — a phrase referring to Moscow’s demands for sovereignty over the Donbas and Ukraine’s demilitarisation. Kyiv and European leaders have strongly rejected those terms.
Europe and Kyiv push for diplomatic start
European leaders joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday in a joint statement urging that peace talks begin with freezing the current front line. They accused Russia of not being “serious” about achieving peace.
Zelensky called front-line discussions “the beginning of diplomacy” and said Moscow was doing everything to avoid them. He added that only continued delivery of long-range weapons could make Russia “pay attention.”
Rising tensions as negotiations stall
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 surrender parts of the Donbas in a potential deal.
Zelensky has repeatedly refused to give up any Ukrainian territory, warning that Russia could later use it 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 striking deep inside Russia.
Zelensky said the missile discussions forced Moscow to re-engage diplomatically. Although he left Washington without concrete promises, he called the talks a “strong investment in diplomacy.”
