Doubts emerge over Trump-Putin Budapest summit

Kremlin says determination is ‘no precise timeframe’ for Ukraine ceasefire talks aft Trump claimed gathering could hap wrong 2 weeks. 

Doubts are emerging implicit the likelihood of a swift gathering betwixt Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump to sermon a ceasefire successful Ukraine.

Moscow appeared connected Tuesday to downplay expectations that a acme is imminent, saying that determination is “no precise timeframe” and that preparations for a gathering betwixt the leaders of Russia and the US “could instrumentality time”.

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Earlier, reports successful the United States media suggested that Moscow and Washington person differing views connected the indispensable conditions for ending the conflict.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters determination is “no understanding” successful Moscow astir a imaginable day for the planned gathering successful Budapest, casting uncertainty connected Trump’s claim that it could hap wrong 2 weeks.

“No precise timeframe was initially acceptable here,” said Peskov. “Preparation is needed, superior preparation.”

Hopes for a near-term acme were besides dimmed by reports that a planned preparatory gathering betwixt Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, volition not spell up this week.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov connected Tuesday said it was “premature” to sermon details of the pre-meeting.

Lavrov and Rubio spoke by telephone connected Monday, and their speech whitethorn person revealed immoderate differences successful expectations.

CNN, citing informed sources, reported that their gathering has been “tabled, astatine slightest for now”, with 1 root pointing to US interest that Moscow is sticking to a “maximalist stance” regarding its conditions for a ceasefire.

Lavrov dismissed the study arsenic “unscrupulous”, but inactive insisted that Moscow’s presumption has not changed since Trump and Putin held a summit successful Alaska 2 months ago.

“Russia has not changed its presumption compared to the understandings that were reached during the Alaska summit,” Lavrov told reporters.

He added that helium had conveyed this straight to Rubio.

The Russian diplomat said that the spot and the timing of the adjacent Trump-Putin acme – which Trump announced aft a telephone telephone with Putin connected October 16 – mattered little than implementing what the 2 sides agreed to successful Alaska.

At the August summit, Putin said his state is committed to ending the war, but that the conflict’s “primary causes” indispensable beryllium eliminated for an statement to beryllium agelong lasting.

Previously, Moscow’s database of “primary causes” has included demands for territory and for Ukraine to stay “neutral” and its subject capabilities to beryllium dismantled.

‘Putin continues to take violence’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and galore European leaders responded by accusing Moscow of dragging its feet successful bid efforts portion continuing to wage “violence and destruction” connected its neighbour.

“Russia’s stalling tactics person shown clip and clip again that Ukraine is the lone enactment superior astir peace,” said a associated connection by Zelenskyy and 8 European leaders. “We tin each spot that Putin continues to take unit and destruction.”

The evident acme hold poses different setback for Trump, who has promised to extremity the warfare rapidly but failed to extract factual concessions from Moscow.

After months of wavering messages, Trump has astir precocious called for freezing the existent conflict lines arsenic a starting constituent for negotiations.

That position has been embraced by some Zelenskyy and European leaders.

However, Putin has rejected aggregate calls for a ceasefire and stuck to a database of hardline demands, including large territorial concessions, that Kyiv sees arsenic unacceptable.

Ukraine says a gathering betwixt Putin and Zelenskyy is needed to marque progress, but the Kremlin has ruled retired talks with the Ukrainian person until a bid woody is practically agreed.