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There are "no plans" for American leader President Trump to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin "anytime soon", a administration representative has declared.

Recently Trump indicated he and the Russian president would meet in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to examine the war in Ukraine.

A planning session between America's top diplomat Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov was scheduled to occur recently - but the White House stated the two had had a "positive" discussion and that a meeting was no longer "needed".

The White House did not share further information on why the talks had been delayed.

Earlier Events

Trump had raised the possibility of a Budapest summit during a call with Putin, a day before hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.

Some reports claimed his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "contentious discussion", with sources indicating Trump had pushed him to give up extensive regions of Ukraine's east as part of a settlement with Russia.

However, on Monday the American president endorsed a peace initiative backed by Ukraine and European leaders to halt the war on the existing battle lines.

"Let it be cut where it stands," he remarked.

Moscow has consistently objected against freezing the current line of contact.

Moscow was only interested in "long-term, sustainable peace", Lavrov stated on Tuesday, suggesting that freezing the front line would only amount to a short-term truce.

Political Perspectives

The "root causes" of the war demanded attention, the Russian diplomat stated, using Moscow's terminology for a set of comprehensive conditions that encompass the recognition of complete Moscow control over the Donbas as well as the demilitarisation of the country – a unacceptable proposition for Ukraine and its European partners.

The Ukrainian president said conversations concerning the battle positions were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Russia was "doing everything" to avoid diplomacy.

He further commented the sole subject that could make Moscow "become engaged" was that of the provision of extended-range arms to Ukraine.

Strategic Factors

Putin's spontaneous discussion with Trump last Thursday occurred before speculation that the US was preparing to send extended-range cruise missiles to Ukraine that could theoretically target inside Russia.

The Ukrainian leader stated it was the Tomahawks issue that had pressured the Kremlin to enter into dialogue. The conversation concerning the missiles had proven to be a "valuable contribution" in negotiations", he remarked.