Trump-Putin Summit Cancelled Amid Ukraine Conflict and Ceasefire Rejection

Plans for a scheduled meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, initially set to occur in Budapest, have been paused following diplomatic interactions between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The Kremlin maintains its maximalist stance regarding the Ukraine conflict and rejects Trump's call for a ceasefire and a freeze of frontlines, which contradicts previous agreements from the August summit in Alaska. The White House cited the productive nature of the Rubio-Lavrov call as a reason for postponing the face-to-face meeting, emphasizing a desire to avoid a potentially unproductive session. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed willingness to participate in the summit if invited, while European leaders remain cautious about any agreement that could pressure Ukraine into ceding territory. The ongoing war continues to complicate diplomatic efforts, with European nations seeking to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine's defense and Zelensky requesting long-range missile support from the US. Overall, the meeting's deferment reflects the current impasse and unresolved tensions around peace negotiations in the Ukraine conflict.