Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will hold their long-awaited first summit next month in the Finnish capital Helsinki, at what could prove a historic turning point in international relations

The 2+2 dialogue was postponed due to American preoccupation with the crucial forthcoming summit between United States President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, sources speculate.

Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will hold their long-awaited first summit next month in the Finnish capital Helsinki, at what could prove a historic turning point in international relations. 

The July 16 head-to-head between the US and Russian leaders will follow a NATO summit in Brussels that Washington's European partners fear will serve as another stage for Trump to berate them and scorn the Western alliance.

Politicians, bureaucrats hold different opinions about the delaying of the 2+2 summit.

"It sounds like the postponement may have to do with Mike Pompeo having to be at the US Russia Summit. I find that to be wholly insufficient justification. The 2+2 should have been a major priority for the White House," Micheal Kugelman of the Wilson Centre said.

"The postponement by the United States did not seem to have anything to do with India, instead it is due to scheduling reasons for the two secretaries Pompeo and Mattis for issues deemed more urgent," sources told ANI.

The United States on Wednesday postponed the first "2+2 dialogue" with India citing "unavoidable reasons".

The dialogue was scheduled for July 6 in the US was to be held between external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and US secretary of state Michael R Pompeo and secretary of defence James Mattis.

The 2+2 dialogue was announced last August following a call between Prime Minister Modi and President Donald Trump. The July 6 meeting was to focus on "strengthening strategic, security and defence cooperation".