Washington abruptly called off a planned Trump-Putin summit after Moscow demanded sweeping concessions—including sanctions relief and recognition of occupied Ukrainian territories.
In a dramatic diplomatic turn, US President Donald Trump has cancelled his planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, after Moscow sent a formal memo filled with what American officials blasted as “maximalist and unacceptable” demands aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported, citing the Financial Times.
The high-stakes meeting was set to take place next month in Budapest, a venue symbolically chosen to underscore renewed diplomatic outreach between Washington and Moscow. But according to sources, the White House abruptly pulled the plug after reviewing the Kremlin’s proposed conditions—which reportedly included massive sanctions relief, Western recognition of Russia’s territorial seizures, and an end to NATO’s eastward expansion.
“Moscow’s position amounted to a blueprint for Ukraine’s surrender, not peace,” one US official was quoted as saying.
The cancellation underscores growing frustration in Washington over Putin’s unwillingness to negotiate in good faith, as Russia continues its assault on Ukrainian cities while demanding geopolitical concessions that would legitimize its occupation of sovereign territory.
The Budapest summit had been quietly billed as a potential turning point—a chance for Trump to test whether Moscow’s recent signals of ‘flexibility’ were genuine or merely a diplomatic trap. But with the Russian memo effectively demanding a rollback of Western sanctions and recognition of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, and other occupied regions, the meeting became politically untenable.
Analysts say the cancellation sends a strong message that the United States will not bargain away democratic principles or territorial integrity under pressure from Moscow.
“Putin overplayed his hand,” said one European diplomat. “Instead of compromise, he offered capitulation terms—and Washington refused to play along.”
The move also reinforces Trump’s message that Russia must face consequences for its aggression until it fully withdraws and respects international law.
While some observers speculate the Kremlin’s gambit was designed to test US resolve ahead of upcoming elections, others note that the decision could reset the geopolitical stage, shifting focus back to Ukraine’s right to defend itself and Western unity against authoritarian coercion.
The scrapped Budapest summit highlights a growing reality: until Russia abandons its imperial ambitions, true peace will remain out of reach—and Washington is not willing to compromise democracy for diplomacy.
