Donald Trump said he decided against holding a “wasted meeting” with Russian President Vladimir Putin after plans for direct talks about the war in Ukraine were suspended. Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, the U.S. president indicated that the negotiations fell apart largely because Moscow refused to agree to a ceasefire along the current front line.

Further reading: Trump-Putin Summit Collapses: Budapest Talks Abruptly Put on Hold

Only days earlier, Trump had announced that he and Putin would meet in Budapest within two weeks. But a White House official later confirmed there were “no plans” for such a meeting “in the immediate future.” The shelving of the proposed summit appears to reflect widening differences between Washington and Moscow over how to end the war and, for many observers, another embarrassing moment for Trump’s foreign policy team.

Trump and Putin last met in August during a hastily arranged summit in Alaska that ended without results. The White House seems eager to avoid a repeat of that outcome. “The Russians wanted too much, and it became clear to the Americans that there would be no deal for Trump in Budapest,” a senior European diplomat told Reuters.

A preparatory meeting between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, originally planned for this week, was also canceled after the two held what officials described as a “productive” phone call. Trump has publicly supported a ceasefire proposal backed by Kyiv and European leaders that would freeze the front line where it currently stands. “Let it be cut the way it is,” he said. “Cut and stop at the battle line. Go home. Stop fighting, stop killing people.”

Further reading: Lavrov Rejects Ceasefire: Russia Says Halting War Would 'Preserve the Nazi Regime' in Ukraine

Russia has rejected the idea. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow’s stance remains unchanged, insisting that Ukraine must withdraw from all occupied eastern regions. Lavrov echoed this on Tuesday, claiming that Russia sought “long-term, sustainable peace” rather than what he called a “temporary ceasefire.” He said any talks must address the “root causes” of the conflict, a phrase the Kremlin uses to justify demands for recognition of Russian sovereignty over Donbas and the demilitarization of Ukraine. Conditions entirely unacceptable to Kyiv and Europe.

European leaders, standing alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, issued a joint statement accusing Russia of not being “serious” about peace. Zelensky called the discussion over the front line “the beginning of diplomacy” but said Moscow was doing everything to avoid it. He added that the only thing that could make Russia “pay attention” was the continued supply of long-range Western weapons to Ukraine.

Reports suggested that Trump’s recent meeting with Zelensky at the White House was tense. According to several sources, Trump allegedly pressed the Ukrainian leader to accept Russian control over parts of Donetsk and Luhansk as part of a possible deal. A demand that Zelensky refused, saying that surrendering any territory would only invite further Russian aggression.

Putin’s unplanned call with Trump last week came after reports that the U.S. was preparing to supply Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles capable of striking deep into Russian territory. Zelensky later said the discussion about the missiles “forced Russia to engage” and, although he left Washington without concrete results, called it “a strong investment in diplomacy.”

For many in Washington and abroad, the episode underscores the administration’s lack of coherence and credibility on foreign policy. Announcing a summit with Putin only to cancel it days later, and doing so after the U.S. had publicly discussed ceasefire proposals, has left the White House appearing disorganized and uncertain.