Putin-Trump summit on hold, says White House

The highly anticipated summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been indefinitely postponed, according to a senior White House official. The decision comes as Moscow continues to reject calls for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, complicating diplomatic efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict. Last week, Trump had announced plans to meet Putin in Hungary to broker peace, but Russia’s insistence on territorial concessions from Ukraine has stalled negotiations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that no specific dates for the summit had been finalized, emphasizing that both leaders had not committed to a timeline. Russia reiterated its demands for control over the Donbas region in a private communique sent to the U.S., effectively dismissing Trump’s proposal for a ceasefire based on current frontlines. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed cautious optimism about Trump’s compromise but doubted Putin’s willingness to support it. Meanwhile, European leaders have urged Washington to maintain a firm stance on an immediate ceasefire, with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte scheduled to meet Trump to discuss European perspectives on the crisis. The EU is set to reinforce its support for Ukraine at an upcoming summit in Brussels, followed by a meeting of European leaders in London to strategize next steps.