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There are "no arrangements" for US President Donald Trump to confer with Russian President Vladimir Putin "in the near term", a White House official has stated.

Last Thursday the US president stated he and the Russian president would meet in Budapest within two weeks to examine the Ukraine conflict.

A initial discussion between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his opposite number Foreign Minister Lavrov was scheduled to occur this week - but the administration said the two had had a "productive" conversation and that a face-to-face session was not "necessary".

The administration declined to provide further information on why the talks had been put on hold.

Previous Developments

The US president had raised the possibility of a Budapest summit via telephone with the Russian leader, a just prior to hosting Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.

Some reports claimed his meeting with Zelensky had been a "heated exchange", with insiders claiming the president had pushed him to relinquish extensive regions of eastern Ukraine as part of a deal with Moscow.

However, on this week Trump supported a ceasefire proposal backed by Kyiv and European leaders to freeze the hostilities on the current front line.

"Leave it as is in its current state," he remarked.

Russia has consistently objected against freezing the existing front lines.

The Russian government was only interested in "enduring stability", Lavrov stated on this week, suggesting that freezing the front line would simply constitute a temporary ceasefire.

Political Perspectives

The "underlying reasons" of the hostilities demanded attention, the Russian diplomat said, using Kremlin shorthand for a range of comprehensive conditions that encompass the recognition of total Russian authority over the eastern region as well as the disarmament of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its EU supporters.

Zelensky commented talks regarding the front line were the "beginning of diplomacy" but that Moscow was "taking all measures" to prevent dialogue.

He further commented the sole subject that could cause Russia to "become engaged" was that of the delivery of extended-range arms to the Ukrainian military.

Military Considerations

Putin's unplanned conversation with Trump last Thursday preceded rumors that the US was preparing to send distance-capable weapons to Ukrainian forces that could theoretically target Russian territory.

Zelensky said it was the missile discussion that had forced Russia to enter into dialogue. The conversation concerning the missiles had emerged as a "strong investment" in negotiations", he commented.