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There are "no plans" for US President Donald Trump to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin "anytime soon", a administration representative has declared.

This past week Trump said he and the Kremlin leader would meet in Hungary's capital soon to examine the war in Ukraine.

A preparatory meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov was due to be held recently - but the White House stated the two had had a "productive" call and that a meeting was not "necessary".

The administration withheld additional specifics on why the talks had been delayed.

Earlier Events

Trump had raised the possibility of a Budapest summit during a call with Putin, a day before meeting Ukrainian President President Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Various sources suggested his meeting with Zelensky had been a "heated exchange", with those familiar suggesting Trump had pressured him to cede large areas of eastern Ukraine as part of a deal with Russia.

Yet, on Monday Trump endorsed a peace initiative supported by Kyiv and European leaders to pause the conflict on the existing battle lines.

"Let it be cut the way it is," he said.

Russia has repeatedly pushed back against halting the current line of contact.

Moscow was exclusively seeking "permanent resolution", Russia's foreign minister commented on Tuesday, indicating that halting hostilities would simply constitute a short-term truce.

Negotiating Stances

The "root causes" of the hostilities needed to be addressed, Lavrov stated, using Kremlin shorthand for a series of comprehensive conditions that involve the recognition of full Russian sovereignty over the Donbas as well as the demilitarisation of Ukraine – a unacceptable proposition for Kyiv and its European partners.

The Ukrainian president stated discussions about the battle positions were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Moscow was "doing everything" to avoid diplomacy.

He also said the sole subject that could cause Russia to "take notice" was that of the delivery of distance-capable munitions to the Ukrainian military.

Strategic Factors

Putin's spontaneous discussion with Trump last Thursday occurred before speculation that the United States was considering delivering extended-range cruise missiles to Ukraine that could possibly hit deep into Russia.

Zelensky stated it was the missile discussion that had pressured the Kremlin to engage in discussion. The talk about the missiles had emerged as a "significant input" in diplomacy", he added.