The scheduled meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Hungary has been called off, raising concerns about the possibility of World War 3 escalating further.
Planned talks aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine were postponed between the two leaders, with the venue set to be Budapest, Hungary, although a specific date was not finalized.
The decision to delay the meeting was taken after a discussion between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned that there was no immediate urgency for the leaders to meet, emphasizing the need for thorough preparation.
This delay in the meeting marks another setback in Trump’s attempts to mediate the Ukraine crisis, which he had previously suggested could be swiftly resolved. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European officials have accused Putin of prolonging the conflict to advance his military agenda while diplomatic talks were ongoing.
Zelensky pointed out that Putin only engaged in diplomacy and contacted Trump recently when there was a prospect of the US supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. Stressing the importance of ending the war, Zelensky emphasized that pressure was necessary to achieve lasting peace.
Trump’s stance on Ukraine appeared to shift after a recent conversation with Putin, reversing his previous stance that Ukraine might have to cede territory to reach a resolution. He now calls for both Russia and Kyiv to halt their actions at the current frontlines.
Efforts are underway by Ukrainian and European leaders to align with Trump’s position of immediate cessation of hostilities, with an emphasis on using the current contact line as the basis for negotiations.
Further discussions regarding imposing additional international economic sanctions on Russia are expected to take place during an upcoming EU summit in Brussels on Thursday.
