Trump cancels meeting with Putin... Ukraine ceasefire still far off

Hungary '2nd summit' on hold

U.S. ceasefire proposal rejected by Russia

Trump "I don't want to waste time"

Zelensky "Putin's interest has waned

Long-range missile support is the key to a solution"

The planned 2nd U.S.-Russia summit in Budapest, Hungary, which was to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine, has been put on hold. It was reported that Russia rejected the U.S. ceasefire proposal to hold negotiations with the front lines frozen. Some analysts say that Russia's willingness to negotiate weakened because the U.S. decided not to provide Tomahawk cruise missiles requested by Ukraine.

◇"Russia wants all of Donbas"

U.S. President Donald Trump said on the 21st (local time) at the White House Diwali event, regarding a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, "I don't want to waste time" and "I haven't made a decision yet." He went on to say, "A lot is happening on the front between Ukraine and Russia," and "I'll let you know within two days what we will do." Asked whether he saw an opportunity to end the war, he replied, "Both Russia and Ukraine want it to end," and "I think it will end."

The meeting this week between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was also postponed. Originally, Presidents Trump and Putin had promised a U.S.-Russia summit for a ceasefire during a phone call on the 16th. At the time, Trump expected the meeting to take place "within two weeks." However, analysts say the meeting was postponed because Russia expressed reluctance toward the U.S. ceasefire proposal. At the Trump-Zelensky meeting at the White House on the 17th, Trump said, "It is necessary to stop at the current front lines." But it was reported that Russia was unwilling to accept the U.S. and Ukrainian positions calling for an immediate freeze of the front lines.

It is also pointed out as an obstacle that Russia insists, as a condition for ending the war, that Ukraine hand over the entire Donbas (Donetsk · Luhansk) region. Russia occupies the entirety of Luhansk Oblast and 75% of Donetsk Oblast. It is asking for areas even under Ukrainian control. Reuters, citing a senior European diplomat, analyzed, "It became clear to the U.S. that because Russia wanted too much, it would not be possible to reach an agreement (even if the summit were held in Budapest)."

◇Zelensky: "Long-range missiles are the key to a solution"

Some argue that in the recent Trump-Zelensky meeting, Trump's failure to commit to supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine made negotiations with Russia more difficult. In his regular national video address that day, President Zelensky said, "(With the U.S. refusal to provide Tomahawk missiles) when the issue of long-range (strike) capability became less urgent, Russia's interest almost immediately disappeared," and emphasized, "Our ability to strike deep into Russian territory may be an indispensable key to peace."

The Tomahawk cruise missile, with a range of up to 2500㎞, is considered a "game-changer" because it can strike deep inside Russia, including Moscow. However, the U.S., which is mediating the Ukraine war, has been reluctant to provide Tomahawk missiles due to concerns about escalation. In the meeting with Zelensky, President Trump said, "It is not easy for us to supply Ukraine with a large amount of powerful weapons," and "I hope the war can be ended without Tomahawk missiles."

That day, Russia carried out drone strikes on Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, cutting off the area's power supply. Ukraine also continued armed exchanges, launching missile strikes on a chemical plant in Bryansk, a southern border area of Russia.

Reporter Kim Dong-hyun 3code@hankyung.com