Donald Trump said he did not want a “wasted meeting” after abandoning 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 meaningful progress.
White House halts Budapest summit
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 the two leaders would meet in Budapest within two weeks.
This week exposed growing differences between Washington and Moscow over peace proposals, ending hopes for a breakthrough summit. Trump and Putin last met in Alaska in August during a hastily arranged meeting that produced no results.
Officials said the White House cancelled the second meeting to avoid another failed encounter. “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 face-to-face talks
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 talks unnecessary.
On Monday, Trump endorsed a ceasefire plan backed 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.”
Kremlin rejects freezing the front line
Russia has consistently rejected proposals to freeze the current line of contact. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the idea had been raised several times but “Russia’s position remains consistent.” Moscow continues to demand a 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” must be resolved — a phrase referring to Russia’s demands for sovereignty over the Donbas and the demilitarisation of Ukraine. Kyiv and European leaders have firmly rejected those terms.
Europe and Kyiv push for initial steps
European leaders joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday in a joint statement urging that peace talks start with freezing the current front line. They accused Russia of not being “serious” about peace efforts.
Zelensky called front-line discussions “the beginning of diplomacy” and said Moscow was trying to avoid talks. He added that only continued deliveries of long-range weapons could make Russia “pay attention.”
Tensions rise as negotiations falter
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 possible deal.
Zelensky has repeatedly refused to surrender any Ukrainian territory, warning that Russia could later use it to launch further 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 talks forced Moscow to re-engage diplomatically. Although he left Washington without concrete promises, he called the discussions a “strong investment in diplomacy.”
