A White House spokesperson told reporters that a meeting between U. S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is not on the immediate agenda. The official stated that no such summit is currently planned.

On October 16, Putin and Trump held a phone call to discuss ways of resolving the conflict in Ukraine. Following the conversation, both leaders agreed to meet within the next two weeks, although a specific date was not set. Budapest had been chosen as the venue for the potential talks.

On the morning of October 21, it was announced that a planned meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his American counterpart Ricky Rubio was postponed indefinitely. Prior to that, they held a phone discussion during which Moscow made clear that its stance on the Ukrainian conflict remained firm and unchanged. Russia continues to oppose an immediate ceasefire.

Lavrov later reiterated that Russia would not agree to a truce until the underlying causes of the conflict are addressed.