As U.S. President Trump’s efforts to end the three-and-a-half-year conflict have faltered, the Kremlin stated on the 12th that peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are currently in a “paused” state.
According to AFP reports, in order to promote a ceasefire agreement, Trump launched a series of diplomatic initiatives, including hosting Russian President Putin in Alaska, but Moscow has continued to press on with offensives and airstrikes.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a telephone briefing to reporters, including AFP: “Our negotiators are still able to communicate through their respective channels, but for now, perhaps the word ‘paused’ is a more accurate description.”
He said: “We cannot be overly optimistic and expect the negotiation process to produce immediate results.”
Putin has already explicitly ruled out the possibility of meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky. Zelensky stated that holding a summit is crucial to breaking the stalemate.