Washington: US President Donald Trump downplayed the necessity of a second summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, coinciding with the postponement of their planned meeting in Budapest. This development comes amid ongoing challenges in reaching a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine.
According to Anadolu Agency, Trump expressed reluctance for an unproductive meeting, stating, "I don't want to have a wasted meeting. I don't want to have a waste of time. So I'll see what happens." He made these remarks while hosting a Diwali celebration in the Oval Office. Trump emphasized his demand for an immediate ceasefire that would halt hostilities and stabilize the frontlines in Ukraine. He remarked, "I said, 'Go to the line. Go to the line of battle, the battlefield lines, and you pull back, and you go home and everybody takes some time off, because you got two countries that are killing each other, two countries are losing five to 7,000 soldiers a week.'"
Earlier on Tuesday, a White House official indicated that plans for a second summit between Trump and Putin were suspended following a productive call between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The official stated that the meeting, initially scheduled to take place in Budapest, was called off.
The reasons behind this sudden change remain unclear, although Russia has resisted Trump's demand for a ceasefire in Ukraine that would maintain the current frontlines in the conflict, which has persisted for over three and a half years. Lavrov mentioned that the demand for an immediate ceasefire contradicts prior commitments made by both leaders during a previous summit in Alaska.
Lavrov also suggested that European officials encourage their American counterparts to reevaluate their approach, favoring a temporary cessation of hostilities rather than pursuing a lasting resolution. Trump's comment, "not made a determination," adds further uncertainty to the situation. Meanwhile, Ukraine has requested US support with Tomahawk cruise missiles to target Russia, and the Senate is preparing a new sanctions package against the Kremlin, which Majority Leader John Thune stated is awaiting White House approval.
The sanctions are expected to pass swiftly in the Senate, with 85 co-sponsors in the 100-member chamber. Trump is scheduled to meet NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House on Wednesday.