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Currently exist "no preparations" for American leader President Trump to meet Russia's Putin "in the near term", a White House official has announced.

This past week Trump said he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Budapest in the coming fortnight to address the war in Ukraine.

A initial discussion between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was due to be held this week - but the administration clarified the two had had a "constructive" conversation and that a face-to-face session was no longer "required".

The White House declined to provide any more details on the reason the negotiations had been put on hold.

Previous Developments

The US president had discussed a Budapest summit over the phone with the Russian leader, a day before hosting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the White House.

Various sources indicated his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "contentious discussion", with those familiar claiming the president had pushed him to give up large areas of eastern Ukraine as part of a agreement with Moscow.

Yet, on this week the American president embraced a truce plan backed by Kyiv and European leaders to pause the hostilities on the existing battle lines.

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

Russia has consistently objected against pausing the existing front lines.

Moscow was exclusively seeking "long-term, sustainable peace", Lavrov said on this week, indicating that freezing the front line would merely represent a brief pause.

Diplomatic Positions

The "fundamental issues" of the war required resolution, the Russian diplomat stated, using Russian diplomatic language for a range of extensive requirements that include the acceptance of full Russian sovereignty over the Donbas as well as the demilitarisation of the country – a unacceptable proposition for Kyiv and its Western allies.

Zelensky commented conversations concerning the battle positions were the "commencement of dialogue" but that Russia was "taking all measures" to avoid diplomacy.

He also said the only topic that could cause Russia to "take notice" was that of the delivery of long-range weapons to Ukraine.

Military Considerations

The Russian president's unscheduled call with Trump recently preceded reports that the US was planning to provide long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine that could possibly hit inside Russia.

Zelensky asserted it was the Tomahawks issue that had forced Russia to participate in talks. The discussion regarding the missiles had turned out to be a "valuable contribution" in negotiations", he added.