US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his planned meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin has been postponed because he does not want it to be a “waste of time”. This is a new turn in Trump’s efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine.
The meeting between Trump and Putin was scheduled to be held in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, the decision to postpone which was taken after talks between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday.
“I don’t want a meaningless meeting,” Trump said. I don’t want to waste time. So let’s see what happens.” Lavrov made it clear publicly on Tuesday that Russia is opposed to an immediate ceasefire. Trump has been shifting positions throughout the year on key issues of the war, including whether a ceasefire should precede long-term peace talks and whether Ukraine can regain land captured by Russia during the nearly four-year war.
European leaders have been accusing Putin of investing time in diplomacy to gain an edge in war and now Trump’s hesitation in meeting Putin is a matter of relief for them.
Many leaders, including the British Prime Minister, the French President and the Chancellor of Germany, say they are against putting any pressure on Ukraine to give up Ukrainian lands occupied by Russian forces, which Trump recently suggested.
These leaders also plan to move toward the idea of using billions of dollars of seized Russian assets to help finance Ukraine’s war effort, even though there are some fears over the legality and consequences of such a move.
The US and Russian presidents had previously met in Alaska in August, but this meeting could not advance Trump’s efforts to end the war. The war began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The Kremlin (the official residence and office of the President of Russia) appeared to be in no hurry to bring Trump and Putin together again. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that “serious preparation is needed” before the meeting. Trump suggested that decisions about the meeting would be made in the coming days.
