A planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been put on hold following Moscow’s refusal to agree to an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, casting doubt over ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the war.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, President Trump said he did not want the meeting to be “a waste of time,” suggesting that while talks with Putin could still take place, they were no longer a top priority. “We’ll be notifying you over the next two days as to what we’re doing,” he added.
Just a week earlier, Trump had announced after a phone conversation with Putin that both sides had agreed to hold a “High-Level Advisors” meeting, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expected to prepare the groundwork for the leaders’ summit.
However, hopes for progress dimmed after Lavrov publicly rejected calls for a ceasefire, insisting Moscow would not halt its military operations.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is seeking to purchase 25 Patriot air defense systems from U.S. defense firms, financed partly through frozen Russian assets and support from Western partners. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged the challenges posed by lengthy production timelines but said he had discussed with Trump the possibility of accelerating deliveries, potentially through European intermediaries.
Earlier this month, Russia launched what Ukrainian officials described as the largest single attack of the war, targeting natural gas facilities operated by the state-owned Naftogaz Group with 381 drones and 35 missiles.
European leaders have since welcomed Trump’s decision to delay the summit, cautioning that Putin could use talks to regroup militarily. The leaders of Britain, France, and Germany reiterated their joint opposition to any peace agreement requiring Ukraine to cede occupied territories to Russia.
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