WASHINGTON — A planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been postponed after Moscow rejected an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, complicating diplomatic efforts to end the war.
A senior White House official told Reuters that there are currently no plans for a near-term meeting between the two leaders, following a phone call described as “productive” between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Trump had announced last week that he would meet Putin in Hungary to try to broker peace, but Russia has insisted that Ukraine cede more territory before agreeing to a ceasefire.
Asked about the summit, Trump said he did not want a “wasted meeting” but hinted that further developments could be announced in the coming days. Kremlin officials said preparations for a summit are ongoing, but no date has been set.
Russia recently sent a private communication to the U.S., reaffirming its demand for full control of the eastern Donbas region and rejecting proposals to freeze the frontlines. Russia currently controls all of Luhansk and about 75 percent of Donetsk province.
European leaders urged Washington on Tuesday to hold firm for an immediate ceasefire, with current battle lines as the basis for negotiations. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte traveled to Washington to discuss European positions with Trump.
The postponement of a preparatory meeting between Rubio and Lavrov in Budapest signals that the U.S. may be reluctant to proceed with a Trump-Putin summit unless Moscow softens its demands.
European powers, including Britain, France, Germany, and the EU, publicly supported Trump’s position that fighting should stop immediately and that current positions should guide negotiations.
Trump’s previous meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had been tense, with Trump reportedly pushing Zelenskiy to accept some Russian demands, though it concluded with U.S. support for a ceasefire along existing lines.
Hungary remains the proposed venue for the summit, but the choice is controversial within the EU. Putin would need to fly through EU airspace, with Poland warning it could intercept his plane, while Bulgaria has indicated it would allow transit.
The summit remains on hold as diplomatic efforts continue, with both sides emphasizing the importance of preparation and substantive discussions before any face-to-face meeting.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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