Russia-Ukraine war: Kremlin 'pauses' peace talks; Trump's truce move falters

The Kremlin on Friday said peace talks between Russia and Ukraine were on “pause,” as US president Donald Trump’s push to end the three-and-a-half-year war struggles to gain traction.

Trump has launched an intense diplomatic drive, including hosting Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska, in a bid to strike a deal. But Moscow has pressed ahead with its offensive and continued aerial bombardments.


“Our negotiators have the opportunity to communicate through channels. But for now, it is probably more accurate to talk about a pause,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, including news agency AFP, during a briefing call.

“You can't wear rose-tinted glasses and expect that the negotiation process will yield immediate results,” he added.

Putin has effectively ruled out meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who insists a summit is crucial to breaking the deadlock.

Russia has escalated its attacks, carrying out its largest aerial assault last week, which killed several people and set ablaze a government building in Kyiv.

So far, three rounds of direct peace talks in Istanbul have delivered little beyond major prisoner swaps.

Moscow continues to demand that Ukraine cede the entire Donbas region, parts of which it already controls. Kyiv, however, has rejected territorial concessions and instead called for European troops to be deployed as peacekeepers, a proposal Russia deems unacceptable.

This comes after Poland firmly rejected Donald Trump’s claim that a recent Russian drone incursion into its airspace could have been accidental, saying the attack was deliberate and cannot be dismissed.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Friday responded directly to Trump’s remarks, saying that the strike was intentional. "We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake. But it wasn't. And we know it," Tusk said on X.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, when Polish authorities reported that parts of 17 Russian-made drones were recovered in the east of the country. No one was injured and there was no major damage, but officials said the raid highlighted serious security concerns.

European capitals and the European Union called the attack a test of Nato’s resolve as the war in Ukraine continues. Trump, however, took a softer view when asked by reporters on Thursday, saying: "It could have been a mistake."