• Russia flatly rejected Trump's proposal to freeze battle lines and let history decide Ukraine war outcome
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported back that Moscow demanded full control of Donbas region
• Trump abruptly called off Budapest summit after saying he didn't want a wasted meeting

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TDR) — President Donald Trump abruptly pulled the plug Tuesday on a peace summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin that was to be held in Budapest in the coming weeks, declaring he didn't want a waste of time after Russia flatly rejected his proposal to freeze the battle lines in Ukraine. The decision came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with his Russian counterpart and reported back that Moscow remained committed to maximalist demands.

"I don't want to have a wasted meeting. I don't want to have a waste of time so I'll see what happens," Trump said Tuesday afternoon at an Oval Office event celebrating Diwali. When asked what had changed since announcing his plans to meet with Putin in Budapest, Trump said, "Well, I didn't say anything. I didn't say it would."

Russia demands total Donbas control

A White House official confirmed there are no plans for Trump to meet Putin in the immediate future after Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a phone call Monday. "Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Lavrov had a productive call. Therefore, an additional in person meeting between the Secretary and Foreign Minister is not necessary," the official said.

Russia sent a private communique to the US over the weekend demanding full control of Ukraine's Donbas region, according to officials who spoke to Reuters. That demand conflicts with Trump's proposal to freeze the war along current battle lines and let history decide who won. Russia controls all of Luhansk province and about 75% of neighboring Donetsk, which together make up the Donbas.

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Lavrov made Russia's position clear Tuesday. "Now, Washington is saying that we need to stop immediately and not discuss anything further. We need to stop and let history decide," Lavrov said. "You see, if we just stop, we will forget about the root causes of this conflict."

European leaders back Trump's ceasefire plan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and eight European leaders issued a joint statement Tuesday supporting Trump's position that current battle lines should serve as the starting point for negotiations. "Russia's stalling tactics have shown time and time again that Ukraine is the only party serious about peace," the statement said. "We can all see that Putin continues to choose violence and destruction."

The leaders, including the British prime minister, French president and German chancellor, opposed any push to make Ukraine surrender land captured by Russian forces in return for peace. They also plan to push forward with plans to use billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets to help fund Ukraine's war efforts.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte traveled to Washington Tuesday for talks with Trump on Wednesday. The military alliance has been coordinating deliveries of weapons to Ukraine, many purchased from the US by Canada and European countries.

Summit delay marks latest setback

Trump announced Thursday that he and Putin planned to meet again within two weeks following what he called a very productive telephone call. The proposed Budapest summit represented Trump's latest attempt to end the war after his August summit with Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, failed to advance negotiations.

The president has faced shifting positions on Ukraine throughout the year. After initially pressuring Ukraine to make concessions, Trump grew frustrated with Putin's intransigence. On Monday, Trump said that while he thinks it's possible Ukraine can ultimately defeat Russia, he's doubtful it will happen. "They could still win it. I don't think they will but they could still win it," Trump said.

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Zelenskyy was in Washington Friday to make his case for coveted Tomahawk cruise missiles and other military assets. He said Monday the administration decided not to provide Ukraine with the long-range Tomahawks but added the issue is not off the table. Zelenskyy said he was waiting to see if he would be invited to join the now-canceled sitdown between Trump and Putin.

The Kremlin said Tuesday there was never a date set for a summit. "You can't postpone what was not scheduled," a Putin spokesman said.

Can Trump broker peace in Ukraine if Russia refuses to negotiate from current battle lines?

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