US President Donald Trump’s hopes for a quick summit in Budapest with Russian President Vladimir Putin may be stalled after a preparatory session between the leaders’ top foreign-policy aides this week was put on hold, CNN said on Monday (Aug 20).
Trump has repeatedly said he wants peace in Ukraine though he has also said finding it has been harder that reaching a ceasefire in Gaza or ending a brief conflict between India and Pakistan.
After speaking to Putin last week, Trump said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would meet.
CNN cited an unidentified White House official as saying the anticipated meeting had been put on hold for the time being, however. It cited one source as saying Rubio and Lavrov had divergent expectations about a possible end to the war.
The broadcaster said it was not clear what impact the delay to the Rubio-Lavrov meeting would have on the Trump-Putin summit planned for Budapest, a location with deep historical significance for both Kyiv and Moscow.
Rubio and Lavrov held a telephone call on Monday to discuss the next steps, according to Moscow and Washington.
Russia’s foreign ministry said there was “a constructive discussion”.
But Tommy Pigott, deputy spokesperson of the State Department, did not use the word constructive.
“The secretary emphasised the importance of upcoming engagements as an opportunity for Moscow and Washington to collaborate on advancing a durable resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war, in line with President Trump’s vision,” Pigott said.
