Donald Trump said he did not want a “wasted meeting” after scrapping 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 stop fighting along the current front line blocked any meaningful progress.
White House abandons 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 announced both 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 a second meeting to avoid repeating that outcome. “The Russians wanted too much, and it became clear there would be no deal for Trump in Budapest,” a senior European diplomat told Reuters.
Diplomacy moves to phone calls
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 face-to-face talks unnecessary.
On Monday, Trump backed a ceasefire proposal supported 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 refused 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 wanted 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 reference to Moscow’s demands for sovereignty over the Donbas and Ukraine’s demilitarisation. Kyiv and European allies have firmly rejected those terms.
Europe and Kyiv push for diplomatic progress
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 ending the war.
Zelensky described front-line discussions as “the beginning of diplomacy” and said Moscow was trying to avoid them. He added that only continued deliveries of long-range weapons could make Russia “pay attention.”
Rising tensions as negotiations falter
Trump discussed a possible 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.”
