The planned high-stakes summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been officially cancelled, shutting down a diplomatic opening that had emerged just days ago. The meeting, which was set to take place in Budapest, Hungary, was abruptly scrapped after Moscow sent a formal memo to Washington outlining “maximalist” and non-negotiable demands regarding the war in Ukraine.
The diplomatic push began after President Trump’s recent meeting with China’s Xi Jinping in Busan and a “very productive” phone call with Putin on October 16. Trump, who has expressed frustration with the lack of progress, signaled a willingness to negotiate an end to the conflict, backing Ukraine’s call for an immediate ceasefire along the current front lines.
However, the momentum unraveled when Russia’s foreign ministry delivered its diplomatic note. According to sources familiar with the memo, Moscow was not interested in Trump’s terms. Instead, Russia reiterated its “root cause” demands, which reportedly include:
* Significant new territorial concessions from Ukraine.
* A steep reduction in the size of Ukraine’s armed forces.
* A formal guarantee that Ukraine will never be permitted to join the NATO alliance.
These hardline disagreements were reinforced during a tense phone call between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Rubio reportedly briefed President Trump that Moscow was showing “no willingness to negotiate” on these core issues.
President Trump, who had previously stated he did not want a “wasted meeting,” was reportedly “not impressed” with Russia’s position, leading to the summit’s cancellation. While the White House has not issued a formal statement on the specific memo, Trump confirmed the cancellation, telling reporters it “didn’t feel right” and that he didn’t feel they could “get to the place we have to get.”
The move suggests Moscow may be testing President Trump’s leverage and resolving to wait out the diplomatic process, preferring to solidify its battlefield gains. In the wake of the cancelled talks, the Trump administration announced new sanctions on Russia’s largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, signaling a return to economic pressure. The diplomatic chess match over Ukraine remains, for now, at a deadlock.
Footage Charlie Kirk has been shot
Charlie Kirk has been shot
