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There are "no preparations" for American leader Donald Trump to confer with Russian President Putin "in the immediate future", a administration representative has announced.

Last Thursday the US president indicated he and the Kremlin leader would conduct negotiations in Budapest in the coming fortnight to discuss the war in Ukraine.

A planning session between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov was due to be held recently - but the administration clarified the two had had a "productive" call and that a meeting was not "required".

The administration declined to provide any more details on the reason the negotiations had been delayed.

Background Context

Trump had discussed a Budapest summit via telephone with the Russian leader, a day before hosting Ukraine's President Zelensky in the White House.

Various sources suggested his talks with Zelensky had been a "contentious discussion", with sources suggesting the president had pressured him to cede extensive regions of Ukraine's east as part of a deal with Moscow.

Nevertheless, on this week Trump supported a truce plan backed by Kyiv and EU officials to freeze the war on the present positions.

"Let it be cut in its current state," he said.

Russia has consistently objected against pausing the present battle positions.

The Russian government was only interested in "enduring stability", Lavrov said on this week, indicating that halting hostilities would simply constitute a short-term truce.

Political Perspectives

The "underlying reasons" of the hostilities needed to be addressed, the Russian diplomat stated, using Moscow's terminology for a set of extensive requirements that encompass the acknowledgment of full Russian sovereignty over the eastern region as well as the disarmament of Ukraine – a unacceptable proposition for Kyiv and its EU supporters.

Zelensky stated conversations concerning the front line were the "start of negotiations" but that Russia was "doing everything" to prevent dialogue.

He additionally stated the sole subject that could cause Russia to "pay attention" was that of the delivery of long-range weapons to Ukraine.

Military Considerations

Putin's unplanned conversation with Trump recently occurred before reports that the United States was considering delivering extended-range cruise missiles to Ukraine that could potentially strike deep into Russia.

The Ukrainian leader asserted it was the weapons consideration that had pressured the Kremlin to engage in discussion. The conversation concerning the missiles had emerged as a "valuable contribution" in negotiations", he remarked.