“Waste Of Time”: Trump Cancels Planned Meeting With Putin Amid Tensions Over Ukraine War
US President Says Talks Wouldn’t Be Productive As Allies Warn Against Concessions To Russia
By Orlin Milinov
Washington:
President Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday that his scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin has been cancelled, saying he does not want a “wasted meeting” that would achieve nothing toward ending the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“I don’t want to have a wasted meeting,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I don’t want to have a waste of time — so we’ll see what happens.”
The decision to postpone the talks — initially planned for Budapest — came after a call between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday. The delay marks another setback in Trump’s stop-and-go diplomatic efforts to secure a resolution to a war that has dragged on for nearly four years.
European Relief And Strategic Concerns
The cancellation is likely to be welcomed by European leaders, who have repeatedly warned against hasty negotiations that might favor Moscow. Leaders from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany have accused Putin of using diplomacy as a stalling tactic while consolidating military gains on the ground.
Several Western nations are also advancing plans to use billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s defense, despite legal and logistical challenges.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that any future meeting between Trump and Putin would require “serious preparation,” signaling Moscow’s reluctance to rush into new talks.
Zelensky Urges Pressure On Moscow
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, reacting to the cancelled meeting, said sustained pressure on Russia was the only way to end the conflict. Writing on Telegram, he noted that Putin often returns to diplomacy only when under threat.
“We need to end this war, and only pressure will lead to peace,” Zelensky said. “As soon as pressure eases, the Russians begin to drop diplomacy and postpone dialogue.”
Kyiv has recently requested long-range Tomahawk missiles from the United States to strengthen its military capabilities, though Trump has not confirmed whether he will approve the transfer.
A Shifting Policy On Ukraine
Trump’s approach to the Ukraine war has fluctuated in recent months. Initially, he pushed for Kyiv to make territorial concessions, but later suggested Ukraine could reclaim its occupied territories. Following a recent phone call with Putin and a separate meeting with Zelensky, Trump appeared to revert to a middle ground — calling on both sides to “stop where they are.”
On Sunday, Trump proposed that Ukraine’s industrial Donbas region be “cut up,” leaving most of it in Russian control — a suggestion met with sharp criticism from European allies and Kyiv officials.
Despite his optimism about ending the war, Trump acknowledged doubts about Ukraine’s ability to achieve total victory. “It’s possible Ukraine can defeat Russia,” he said earlier this week, “but I’m not sure it will happen.”
NATO And EU Step Up Coordination
Trump is expected to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday to discuss ongoing military support for Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Coalition of the Willing — a 35-nation group backing Ukraine — will convene in London on Friday.
EU leaders are also preparing new sanctions against Russia, with discussions expected at a summit in Brussels on Thursday. “We must ramp up the pressure on Russia’s economy and defense industry until Putin is ready to make peace,” said a joint statement from several European governments.
Russia currently occupies roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, and officials in Kyiv fear that freezing the conflict along current lines would only give Moscow a platform for future attacks.
As diplomatic efforts continue, the suspension of Trump’s meeting with Putin underscores the deep divisions between Washington, Moscow, and European allies over how — and when — the war should end.
