A planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest has been cancelled after Moscow reaffirmed hardline demands over Ukraine, the Financial Times reported. The decision followed a tense phone call between U.S. and Russian diplomats, during which Russia insisted that Ukraine cede more territory as a condition for any ceasefire. The White House and Kremlin have not yet commented on the report.
Why It Matters
The scrapped summit underscores the deep rift between Washington and Moscow over how to end the war in Ukraine. While Trump has supported an immediate ceasefire along current front lines, Russia’s insistence on territorial concessions, limits on Ukraine’s military, and a permanent ban on NATO membership has effectively stalled talks. The breakdown highlights how difficult it remains to bridge differences even as global pressure mounts for peace negotiations.
President Trump had positioned the Budapest summit as a potential breakthrough in efforts to halt the conflict, but Russian President Putin’s rigid stance on Ukraine’s sovereignty derailed those plans. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly advised Trump to cancel after concluding Moscow had “no willingness to negotiate.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reiterated that Kyiv will not withdraw its forces or concede more land to Russia under any terms.
What’s Next
The collapse of the proposed Trump–Putin meeting leaves diplomatic momentum in limbo. Washington is likely to continue exploring backchannel efforts to revive dialogue, but both sides appear entrenched. Analysts warn that without compromise, the war risks entering another prolonged phase with ceasefire hopes fading and battlefield lines hardening ahead of winter.
With information from Reuters.
