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There are "no plans" for US President Donald Trump to confer with Russia's Vladimir Putin "anytime soon", a White House official has declared.

Last Thursday the US president stated he and the Russian president would hold talks in Budapest within two weeks to examine the war in Ukraine.

A planning session between America's top diplomat Marco Rubio and his opposite number Sergei Lavrov was planned for this week - but the White House clarified the two had had a "productive" call and that a face-to-face session was no longer "required".

The White House withheld further information on why the talks had been delayed.

Previous Developments

Trump had raised the possibility of a Budapest summit during a call with the Russian leader, a just prior to hosting Ukraine's President Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Various sources suggested his meeting with the Ukrainian leader had been a "shouting match", with sources suggesting Trump had urged him to relinquish extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a deal with Russia.

Yet, on Monday the American president embraced a peace initiative endorsed by Ukraine and European leaders to freeze the hostilities on the present positions.

"Let it be cut in its current state," he remarked.

Russia has repeatedly pushed back against freezing the present battle positions.

Moscow was exclusively seeking "permanent resolution", Lavrov said on Tuesday, implying that halting hostilities would only amount to a temporary ceasefire.

Negotiating Stances

The "fundamental issues" of the war needed to be addressed, the Russian diplomat said, using Moscow's terminology for a series of maximalist demands that involve the acceptance of complete Moscow control over the eastern region as well as the military reduction of the country – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its European partners.

The Ukrainian president stated discussions about the current lines were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Moscow was "doing everything" to avoid diplomacy.

He further commented the only topic that could make Moscow "become engaged" was that of the delivery of extended-range arms to Ukraine.

Military Considerations

Putin's unplanned conversation with the US leader recently preceded reports that the United States was planning to provide long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukrainian forces that could potentially strike Russian territory.

The Ukrainian leader said it was the Tomahawks issue that had forced Russia to participate in talks. The talk about the weapons systems had proven to be a "valuable contribution" in diplomacy", he commented.