The planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Budapest has been postponed indefinitely. As reported by AP News, the talks were shelved after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
According to Rubio, the summit was “unlikely to yield positive results in peace negotiations,” as Russia showed no willingness to make concessions or even discuss compromise conditions. Following his remarks, the White House confirmed that there are currently “no plans” for a Trump-Putin meeting.
As noted by the Financial Times, the Kremlin sought to downplay the suspension, saying that “preparation takes time.” Meanwhile, European partners of Ukraine called Washington’s decision “reasonable,” pointing out that Moscow continues to demand territorial concessions from Kyiv.
Trump had earlier announced plans to meet Putin in Budapest to discuss terms for ending the war, but Rubio’s statement after his conversation with Lavrov effectively halted preparations for the summit.
According to The Guardian, European diplomats believe that canceling the meeting reduces the risk of pressure on Ukraine to make territorial compromises and gives more time to coordinate a joint peace initiative with the European Union.