Trump-Putin Meeting on Hold Amid Ukraine Crisis Diplomacy

A planned meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin has been postponed following a call between US and Russian officials. European leaders oppose ceding Ukrainian land to Russia, and tensions rise as Ukraine seeks US support in negotiations, complicating diplomatic efforts.

A planned meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been put on hold, according to a U.S. official. The meeting, initially announced to take place in Budapest, Hungary, has been paused following a conversation between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Neither the U.S. nor Russia has officially commented on the delay.

European leaders, including the British Prime Minister and the German Chancellor, have expressed relief at the postponed meeting. They have consistently opposed any deal requiring Ukraine to surrender territory to Russia as part of peace negotiations, a notion previously floated by Trump. European and Ukrainian officials are also considering using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s war effort, despite legal concerns.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has lobbied for more military support, including long-range missiles from the U.S. Trump has been noncommittal on the request, while expressing doubts about Ukraine's ability to defeat Russia. Meanwhile, NATO and allied countries continue to coordinate military aid to Ukraine, as EU leaders prepare for a summit to discuss additional sanctions on Russia.