Donald Trump's meeting with Vladimir Putin called off as President wants to avoid 'wasted meeting'

Discussing his decision to cancel the meeting, Mr Trump said: "I don't want to have a wasted meeting. I don't want to have a wasted time, so I'll see what happens."

However, the President continued to state the potential for a ceasefire, saying: "I came in and I have to see if I can put it out."

He also said he expected an update on the progression of peace between Russia and Ukraine in "the next two days".

Last week Mr Trump said he had plans for a "pretty quick" in-person meeting with Mr Putin in Budapest after they had a "productive" phone call.

On Monday the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke with Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State to prepare for the meeting.

It is believed that the tense phone call did not go to plan.

Mr Rubio is thought to have been told by Mr Lavrov that Russia would not accept freezing the frontline in Ukraine.

However, the following day the White House described the call as "productive", saying: "Therefore, an additional in-person meeting between the secretary and foreign minister is not necessary, and there are no plans for President Trump to meet with President Putin in the immediate future."

Talking to reporters in Moscow, Mr Lavrov said: "I want to officially confirm: Russia has not changed its position compared to the understandings that were reached during the Alaska summit."

He also emphasised that Russia's stance focuses on the necessity for a peace deal coming before a ceasefire.

He said: "It is now being said from Washington that there is a need to stop immediately, that there is no need to discuss anything further, and that 'history should judge'.

"If we just stop, it means forgetting the root causes of this conflict, which the American administration clearly understood and voiced this understanding upon Trump's assumption of power."

Last week, Volodymyr Zelensky visited the White House to meet with the President.

The Ukrainian leader later said that he was pressed by Mr Trump to give up territory in order to end the war.

Ukraine's European leaders then released a statement rejecting this proposal.

It said: "Russia's stalling tactics have shown time and time again that Ukraine is the only party serious about peace.

"We can all see that Putin continues to choose violence and destruction."