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There are "no arrangements" for US President President Trump to confer with Russia's Vladimir Putin "anytime soon", a White House official has stated.

Last Thursday the US president indicated he and the Kremlin leader would conduct negotiations in Budapest within two weeks to address the Ukraine conflict.

A preparatory meeting between America's top diplomat Secretary Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov was scheduled to occur recently - but the administration clarified the two had had a "productive" call and that a face-to-face session was no longer "necessary".

The administration did not share further information on the reason the negotiations had been put on hold.

Background Context

The US president had raised the possibility of a Hungarian meeting over the phone with the Russian leader, a day before meeting Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.

Various sources suggested his meeting with Zelensky had been a "shouting match", with sources claiming the president had pressured him to give up large areas of eastern Ukraine as part of a deal with Moscow.

Nevertheless, on Monday the American president embraced a peace initiative supported by Ukraine and EU officials to halt the war on the existing battle lines.

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

Russia has frequently resisted against halting the existing front lines.

Moscow was only interested in "long-term, sustainable peace", Russia's foreign minister stated on this week, indicating that freezing the front line would only amount to a temporary ceasefire.

Negotiating Stances

The "root causes" of the conflict required resolution, Lavrov stated, using Kremlin shorthand for a range of comprehensive conditions that involve the recognition of total Russian authority over the Donbas as well as the demilitarisation of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its European partners.

Zelensky commented talks regarding the current lines were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Russia was "doing everything" to evade negotiations.

He further commented the exclusive issue that could make Moscow "become engaged" was that of the supply of long-range weapons to the Ukrainian military.

Military Considerations

The Russian president's spontaneous discussion with the US leader last Thursday occurred before speculation that the US was planning to provide distance-capable weapons to Ukrainian forces that could theoretically target inside Russia.

The Ukrainian leader said it was the missile discussion that had forced Russia to engage in discussion. The discussion regarding the missiles had emerged as a "significant input" in negotiations", he commented.