CNN reports.According to the outlet’s sources, the meeting between Rubio and Lavrov was meant to serve as part of the preparations for the talks between the two presidents in Budapest.During a phone conversation with Putin, Trump agreed on a “high-level advisers’ meeting next week.” At the time, he said that the first stage of the talks on the U.S. side would be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.However, according to CNN, the meeting has been postponed. One source said that Rubio and Lavrov have “different expectations” regarding a possible end to the war in Ukraine.It also remains unclear what impact the postponement of the preliminary meeting between Lavrov and Rubio will ultimately have on the anticipated Trump–Putin summit in Budapest.“President Trump has consistently worked towards finding a peaceful and diplomatic resolution to end this senseless war and to stop the killing,” White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told CNN. “He has courageously engaged parties on all sides and will do everything in his power to achieve peace.”According to the U.S. State Department, during a phone call on Monday, Rubio and Lavrov discussed the next steps following last week’s conversation between the two presidents about a possible end to the war in Ukraine.Rubio, according to the State Department’s statement, “emphasized the importance of upcoming engagements as an opportunity for Moscow and Washington to collaborate on advancing a durable resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war, in line with President Trump’s vision.”The Kremlin, for its part, described the conversation as a “constructive discussion,” during which “possible concrete steps to implement the agreements reached by Trump and Putin” were discussed.However, according to CNN, Moscow’s position has “hardly changed” after the talks, and as a result, Rubio is unlikely to recommend that Trump hold a meeting with Putin in the near future.Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov commented on the cancellation of the meeting between the presidential advisors of both countries. According to him, there were no agreements at all between the U.S. and Russia."It is impossible to postpone something that was not agreed upon," he noted.In addition, he emphasized that such meetings require thorough preparation.On October 16, President Donald Trump had a phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, right before Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits Washington.Later, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said he is ready to join a meeting between Trump and Putin in any format that could yield results.On October 21, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó will visit Washington amid the possible Trump–Putin meeting.