Trump-Putin Summit Canceled: Moscow Refuses Ceasefire - Reuters

The planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin is at risk of cancellation. The reason is Moscow's unwillingness to agree to an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. This was reported by Reuters, citing high-ranking officials from the White House. 

Washington Refuses Trump's Meeting with Putin

Washington stated that there are currently «no plans for a personal meeting» between the leaders of the two countries. Although the conversation between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was «productive», both sides decided against holding face-to-face negotiations. Last week, Trump announced a summit in Budapest, hoping to negotiate a ceasefire, but the Kremlin insists that Ukraine must first concede territories.

Because of this, the preparatory stage for the Rubio and Lavrov meeting, which was to take place on Thursday in Budapest, has been canceled. Lavrov stated that «the place and time of the summit do not matter, the main thing is to fulfill the previous agreements made during negotiations in Alaska». The Kremlin confirmed that there are no new meeting dates and that «serious preparations may take some time».

The Russians Asked for Too Much

EU diplomats believe that the cancellation of preparations for the summit indicates that the US is not willing to continue negotiations if Russia does not make concessions. 

«It seems the Russians asked for too much, and it became clear that Trump has nothing to sign in Budapest», — noted one of the European representatives. 

Another added that Moscow «has not changed its position and does not agree to stop hostilities along current lines».

EU leaders, including those from Britain, France, Germany, and the European Union, supported Trump's approach to the ceasefire. In a joint statement, they emphasized that «hostilities must stop immediately, and the current frontline must serve as the basis for future negotiations».

Meanwhile, EU leaders are preparing to host Zelensky at the summit this week, where they will discuss creating an international security mission to guarantee post-war peace — a proposal that Moscow categorically rejects.

Earlier, we reported that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed support for the announced meeting between the US and Russian presidents.