(MENAFN) Russian authorities have dismissed media claims that a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump has been delayed, accusing Europe of attempting to undermine the talks.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters on Tuesday that detailed preparations for the “significant event” in Budapest, agreed upon during a recent phone call, are continuing as planned. He described reports of a postponed summit as “infodumps” aimed at derailing diplomatic progress.

“EU and NATO countries are seeking to torpedo everything,” Ryabkov stated, calling the European Union “the most destructive force on the international stage at this point.”

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also ridiculed what she called a Western media “info-circus,” claiming coverage based on unnamed sources was little more than a “CNN leak” that “disproves a Reuters rumor.”

The remarks came after a CNN report citing anonymous sources suggested that summit preparations “had been tabled, at least for now.” The article indicated that a planned meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been postponed following a Monday phone call, allegedly due to Russia maintaining its negotiating stance.

Moscow has repeatedly accused European backers of Kiev of prolonging the Ukraine conflict instead of promoting peace, arguing that this strategy shields EU leaders from accountability.

Meanwhile, Hungary, the proposed host of the Putin-Trump summit, has opposed EU military aid to Ukraine and the broader deterioration of West-Russia relations.

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