President Trump’s timeline for a summit with Vladimir Putin has been effectively dismissed by his own administration. An official stated Tuesday that “no plans” exist for a meeting in the “immediate future,” despite Trump’s post last week claiming one would happen in Budapest within two weeks.
The official’s statement came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a “productive” phone discussion with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday. This call was arranged specifically after Trump’s summit announcement.
The administration official, who requested anonymity, added that an additional in-person meeting between the two foreign ministers was “not necessary” at this point.
The Kremlin added its own note of caution, with a spokesperson stating Tuesday that there is “no precise timeframe” for any meeting between Trump and Putin.
This rapid reversal is the latest in a series of “abrupt shifts” from Trump. He recently hosted Putin in Alaska, his first visit to Western soil since the 2B22 invasion, and has boasted he could end the war in a day, despite also acknowledging “frustrations” with the Russian leader.