The United States has called off President Donald Trump’s planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin after Moscow reiterated its uncompromising demands for a ceasefire in Ukraine, according to a report by the Financial Times. The summit, initially set to take place in Budapest, Hungary, was expected to focus on negotiating an end to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Russia’s foreign ministry sent a formal memo to Washington outlining its firm ceasefire conditions. These included territorial concessions from Ukraine, the country’s demilitarization, and guarantees that Kyiv would never join NATO. The uncompromising nature of these demands reportedly led to Washington’s decision to cancel the meeting.
The Financial Times cited three individuals with knowledge of the situation, noting that the cancellation followed a phone call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During the call, Rubio informed President Trump that Moscow had shown no genuine intent to negotiate or make meaningful compromises.
Trump had previously claimed he could end the Russia-Ukraine conflict within days of taking office, but U.S. attempts to broker peace have so far made little progress. The president also held a tense meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this month, highlighting growing tensions over the conflict’s direction. Despite diplomatic challenges, U.S. military aid to Ukraine continues, signaling Washington’s ongoing support for Kyiv’s defense efforts.
The cancellation of the Trump-Putin summit underscores the widening diplomatic gap between Washington and Moscow and highlights the persistent challenges in securing a viable ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war.