The White House administration clarified Tuesday that there will be no meeting between President Trump and Vladimir Putin in the “immediate future,” according to an official.
This counters President Trump’s own statement from last week, where he announced a Budapest summit “within two weeks” after a phone call with the Russian leader.
The Kremlin also stated on Tuesday that there is “no precise timeframe” for any such meeting.
Following Trump’s announcement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a telephone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday.
An anonymous US official described that call as “productive” but stated that an additional in-person meeting between the diplomats was “not necessary,” signaling a pause in preparations. This shift comes after Putin’s August visit to Alaska and amid Trump’s conflicting boasts and “frustrations” regarding the Russian leader.