President Donald Trump has canceled plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the immediate future, according to a senior White House official. The official, speaking to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, stated there were no current plans for such a meeting, despite previous indications that a meeting was being planned for Budapest, Hungary. This decision comes after Trump had initially suggested that a meeting with Putin was in the works as a follow-up to a prior diplomatic exchange between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The official emphasized that the prior conversation between Rubio and Lavrov had been productive, and that an additional in-person meeting between the Secretary and the Russian foreign minister was not necessary at this time. This, they added, meant there were no immediate plans for Trump to meet with Putin. However, the official did leave the door open for future discussions, suggesting that the meeting could still be revisited if circumstances changed.
Trump had previously indicated that a meeting with Putin in Budapest was a potential next step in efforts to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This meeting would have followed a telephone conversation between Trump and Putin, which the President claimed had yielded significant progress. In his public communications, Trump suggested that the meeting in Budapest would provide an opportunity to address the war and potentially reduce its impact, though he did not specify the terms under which such a meeting would occur.
Zelenskyy’s request for Tomahawk missiles remains a key priority in the ongoing conflict. These advanced weapons are seen as a critical tool in countering Russian military operations, as their range could allow Ukraine to strike targets far beyond Moscow, potentially impacting Russia’s oil industry, a key revenue source for its war efforts. Despite this, Trump has not yet announced plans to supply these weapons to Ukraine following their recent meeting, raising questions about the direction of U.S. support in the war.
The Trump administration’s focus on securing peace in Ukraine is evident in its broader strategy. During a recent meeting with Republican lawmakers at the White House, Trump highlighted his track record of achieving peace in eight conflicts since taking office. He referred to the ongoing situation in Ukraine as ‘number nine,’ underscoring the administration’s continued commitment to finding a resolution to the conflict.