• Trump's planned summit with Putin in Budapest has been put on hold.
• The decision follows a call between Secretary of State Rubio and Foreign Minister Lavrov.
• Russia has rejected Trump's proposal for an immediate ceasefire along current battle lines.
• European leaders express relief at delaying the meeting due to ongoing tensions.
• Ukraine continues to seek military support amid stalled diplomatic efforts.

Plans for a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest have been suspended as neither side could agree on the conditions for peace negotiations regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine. Trump expressed he did not want a "wasted meeting," emphasizing the need for serious preparation, stating, “I don’t want to have a waste of time – so we’ll see what happens,” during a recent press conference according to latimes and africanews.

The halt in talks follows a conversation between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that the White House deemed productive, despite leading to no immediate plans for a meeting between Trump and Putin, as indicated by lemonde and channelnewsasia.

Russia's position remains firm, as the Kremlin has categorically rejected Trump’s request for a ceasefire that would freeze fighting along existing front lines, continuing to demand more territorial concessions from Ukraine. Lavrov stated that any ceasefire proposal contradicts commitments made during a previous summit in Alaska, according to reports from bbc and aa.

European leaders have expressed relief over Trump’s indecision regarding the meeting, arguing that Putin seeks to leverage the ongoing conflict while avoiding substantive peace talks. With many European officials publicly opposing any agreement requiring Ukraine to concede land, a joint statement reflecting their stance was released highlighting their commitment to support Ukraine against Russian aggression. This was noted in statements by scmp and aljazeera.

The failure to proceed with the meeting comes amid Ukraine's ongoing requests for military support from the U.S., including long-range missile systems like Tomahawks, which Trump has fluctuated on regarding his commitment to supply. Ongoing discussions and increased military aid have been focal points in the diplomatic landscape, indicating the complex dynamics at play as countries navigate their positions in this critical conflict according to indiatimes and africanews.