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There are "no plans" for American leader Donald Trump to meet Russia's Putin "in the near term", a White House official has stated.

This past week Trump indicated he and the Russian president would meet in Hungary's capital in the coming fortnight to discuss the war in Ukraine.

A initial discussion between US Secretary of State Secretary Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was planned for recently - but the administration said the two had had a "positive" conversation and that a meeting was not "required".

The White House declined to provide further information on the reason the negotiations had been postponed.

Earlier Events

Trump had discussed a Budapest summit during a call with the Russian leader, a just prior to hosting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the White House.

Some reports indicated his meeting with Zelensky had been a "heated exchange", with sources suggesting Trump had urged him to give up significant territories of eastern Ukraine as part of a settlement with Russia.

Nevertheless, on this week Trump supported a truce plan endorsed by Ukraine and EU officials to pause the hostilities on the current front line.

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

Russia has repeatedly pushed back against pausing the existing front lines.

Moscow was only interested in "enduring stability", Lavrov said on this week, suggesting that freezing the front line would simply constitute a short-term truce.

Political Perspectives

The "underlying reasons" of the hostilities needed to be addressed, Lavrov stated, using Kremlin shorthand for a series of extensive requirements that involve the acknowledgment of total Russian authority over the eastern region as well as the demilitarisation of the country – a impossible condition for Ukraine and its European partners.

Zelensky commented talks regarding the battle positions were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Russia was "taking all measures" to evade negotiations.

He further commented the sole subject that could cause Russia to "become engaged" was that of the supply of distance-capable munitions to the Ukrainian military.

Strategic Factors

The Russian president's unscheduled call with the US leader last Thursday came ahead of rumors that the United States was considering delivering extended-range cruise missiles to Ukrainian forces that could theoretically target deep into Russia.

The Ukrainian leader said it was the Tomahawks issue that had compelled Moscow to enter into dialogue. The discussion regarding the weapons systems had proven to be a "valuable contribution" in international relations", he remarked.