Brussels, 22 October (H.S.): Hopes for an imminent ceasefire in the Ukraine war faded on Tuesday after Russia rejected a U.S.-backed proposal to freeze the conflict along current frontlines, a move that has indefinitely postponed a planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a joint statement, 11 European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, had joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to strongly support President Trump's call for fighting to halt immediately, with the existing line of contact serving as the starting point for peace talks.

The declaration signaled a unified Western front aimed at ending the four-year war.However, Moscow quickly poured cold water on the initiative. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed the idea of a frontline freeze, stating that Russia was only interested in a long-term, sustainable peace that addresses the root causes of the conflict.

This language is widely interpreted as reiterating Russia's maximalist demands, including the full withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the eastern Donbas region. The European statement pointed to these remarks as evidence of Russia's stalling tactics.

The diplomatic impasse has derailed plans for a Trump-Putin summit in Budapest, which the U.S. president had suggested could happen within weeks.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed there was no specific timeline for a meeting, while a preparatory session between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Lavrov was called off.

President Trump's endorsement of a frontline freeze came after a reportedly tense and frank meeting with President Zelensky at the White House last week.

Several reports claimed the meeting involved a shouting match, with Trump initially pressing Zelensky to surrender territory in the Donbas region. Despite the friction, Zelensky appeared to persuade Trump to publicly back Kyiv's long-held position. Let it be cut the way it is, Trump said Monday, referring to the contested battle lines.

President Zelensky has consistently maintained that Ukraine's position on its territorial integrity has not changed, arguing a withdrawal could allow Russia to launch future attacks.

The proposed summit in Budapest also faced logistical and political hurdles, as Putin is subject to an international arrest warrant for war crimes, and EU nations like Poland had signaled they would enforce it if he entered their airspace.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar