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There are "no preparations" for American leader Donald Trump to meet Russian President Putin "in the immediate future", a White House official has stated.

Last Thursday Trump said he and the Russian president would meet in Budapest in the coming fortnight to address the Ukraine conflict.

A planning session between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov was scheduled to occur this week - but the administration stated the two had had a "positive" call and that a meeting was not "needed".

The White House withheld further information on why the talks had been delayed.

Background Context

The US president had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting via telephone with the Russian leader, a day before meeting Ukraine's President Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Various sources suggested his meeting with Zelensky had been a "shouting match", with sources indicating the president had urged him to give up large areas of Ukraine's east as part of a deal with Russia.

However, on this week Trump endorsed a ceasefire proposal backed by Ukraine and European leaders to pause the war on the existing battle lines.

"Freeze the lines in its current state," he remarked.

Russia has consistently objected against halting the present battle positions.

The Russian government was exclusively seeking "permanent resolution", Lavrov said on this week, implying that halting hostilities would merely represent a temporary ceasefire.

Diplomatic Positions

The "fundamental issues" of the war needed to be addressed, Lavrov stated, using Moscow's terminology for a set of extensive requirements that encompass the recognition of total Russian authority over the Donbas as well as the disarmament of Ukraine – a unacceptable proposition for Kyiv and its EU supporters.

Zelensky commented conversations concerning the front line were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Moscow was "doing everything" to evade negotiations.

He further commented the only topic that could make Moscow "become engaged" was that of the provision of distance-capable munitions to Ukraine.

Military Considerations

Putin's unscheduled call with the US leader recently preceded rumors that the United States was considering delivering long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukrainian forces that could possibly hit inside Russia.

Zelensky stated it was the weapons consideration that had compelled Moscow to enter into dialogue. The talk about the weapons systems had proven to be a "significant input" in negotiations", he commented.