Trump’s Plans for Swift Second Summit with Putin Face Delays
Speculation regarding a quick second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has encountered significant delays. An administration official confirmed that there are currently “no plans” for such a meeting in the “immediate future.”
Change in Meeting Expectations
Initially, after a recent phone call, Trump mentioned that the leaders might meet “within two weeks.” However, the timeline has now shifted. The President expressed a desire for the potential meeting to be productive, stating he doesn’t want it to be “a waste of time.”
Recent discussions between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov were aimed at laying the groundwork for the potential Trump-Putin meeting. Nevertheless, multiple officials noted that diplomatic engagement was no longer progressing, at least for the time being.
Diplomatic Developments
During a recent phone call, Rubio and Lavrov discussed the next steps regarding easing tensions in Ukraine. A source indicated that their expectations regarding the conflict did not align. The result was a lack of enthusiasm for an immediate meeting between Trump and Putin.
- Rubio stated a meeting wasn’t necessary after a productive phone discussion.
- Lavrov rejected calls for freezing the conflict in Ukraine, a proposal supported by NATO allies.
- The Kremlin stated that no official date for a summit had been scheduled, thus there is nothing to postpone.
White House and Global Reactions
The White House reiterated Trump’s commitment to pursuing peace in Ukraine. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly emphasized that the President has been advocating for a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing war. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that Russia’s interest in diplomacy diminished after the U.S. withheld long-range missile support for Ukraine.
Zelensky highlighted that enhancing Ukraine’s military capabilities could have a more significant impact on encouraging Russia to engage in productive discussions.
Future Engagements
Despite the current lack of direct engagement, discussions about setting up further meetings between Rubio and Lavrov remain fluid. There’s potential for them to connect during an upcoming ASEAN meeting in Malaysia.
In the meantime, Trump is scheduled to meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to further discuss U.S. and European alignment on the Ukraine situation.
Previously, Trump and Putin had met in Anchorage, Alaska, marking their last in-person summit two months ago. That meeting concluded without any significant agreements but was characterized by both leaders as having made progress towards their agendas.
