Trump says he did not want 'wasted meeting' after plan for Putin talks shelved

October 21, 2025

President Donald Trump announced that plans for a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the Ukraine war have been put on hold, citing his unwillingness to have a "wasted meeting. " A key disagreement centers on peace proposals, with Trump supporting a ceasefire that would freeze the conflict along current battle lines, while Russia insists on Ukrainian withdrawal from eastern regions. The White House confirmed there are "no plans" for a Trump-Putin meeting "in the immediate future," despite Trump's earlier announcement that talks would occur in Budapest within two weeks.

Who is affected

Ukrainian citizens and military forces
Russian military forces
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
European leaders and nations supporting Ukraine
Citizens in contested eastern Ukrainian regions, particularly Donetsk and Luhansk (the Donbas)

What action is being taken

The White House is shelving plans for a second Trump-Putin meeting
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had a "productive" call instead of their planned in-person meeting
Trump is embracing a ceasefire proposal to freeze the conflict on the current front line
European leaders and Zelensky are issuing joint statements supporting freezing the current front line as a starting point for negotiations

Why it matters

The disagreement over peace terms highlights fundamental differences between US/European and Russian positions on resolving the Ukraine conflict
Russia's insistence on Ukrainian withdrawal from eastern regions and the "demilitarisation of Ukraine" represents demands that are unacceptable to Kyiv and its European partners
The potential delivery of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine could significantly impact Russia's strategic position and has reportedly forced Russia to engage in discussions
According to Zelensky, freezing the front line could be the "beginning of diplomacy," while maintaining Ukrainian control of remaining Donbas territories prevents Russia from using them as a "springboard for further attacks"

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC