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There are "no preparations" for US President Donald Trump to confer with Russian President Putin "in the immediate future", a White House official has declared.

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

A initial discussion between America's top diplomat Secretary Rubio and his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Lavrov was scheduled to occur this week - but the administration clarified the two had had a "productive" call and that a meeting was not "necessary".

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

Background Context

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.

Some reports suggested his talks with Zelensky had been a "contentious discussion", with those familiar suggesting the president had urged him to give up large areas of eastern Ukraine as part of a settlement with Russia.

Yet, on this week the American president embraced a truce plan endorsed by Ukraine and EU officials to halt the war on the present positions.

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

Moscow has repeatedly pushed back against pausing the current line of contact.

The Russian government was only interested in "permanent resolution", Russia's foreign minister said on Tuesday, indicating that freezing the front line would merely represent a temporary ceasefire.

Negotiating Stances

The "underlying reasons" of the conflict demanded attention, Lavrov emphasized, using Moscow's terminology for a range of maximalist demands that involve the recognition of total Russian authority over the Donbas as well as the military reduction of Ukraine – a impossible condition for Kyiv and its Western allies.

Zelensky commented talks regarding the battle positions were the "start of negotiations" but that Russia was "employing all tactics" to evade negotiations.

He further commented the only topic that could make Moscow "become engaged" was that of the supply of distance-capable munitions to Ukraine.

Weapons Discussions

The Russian president's unscheduled call with Trump recently came ahead of speculation that the US was preparing to send extended-range cruise missiles to Ukraine that could potentially strike Russian territory.

Zelensky said it was the missile discussion that had compelled Moscow to participate in talks. The talk about the missiles had proven to be a "strong investment" in international relations", he remarked.