WASHINGTON/MOSCOW: Russia has said that peace talks with Ukraine are now “on pause,” deepening uncertainty over the war’s trajectory as NATO pledged to strengthen its eastern defences after a series of drone incidents in Polish airspace.
“Our negotiators have the opportunity to communicate through channels. But for now, it is probably more accurate to talk about a pause” in talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking at a conference in Kyiv, warned that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin’s ultimate goal remained unchanged: to capture the entire country.
US President Donald Trump has also cautioned that his patience with Moscow was “running out fast,” threatening harsher measures if negotiations did not resume in good faith, AFP reported.
Russia puts talks ‘on pause’
The Kremlin’s announcement came as Russian troops staged large-scale military exercises with Belarus, its key ally, in a show of force near NATO borders.
Despite Trump pushing both sides into direct dialogue and hosting Putin in Alaska earlier this year, little progress has been made in resolving the conflict that began with Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Zelenskyy told allies that Putin’s rhetoric should not deceive them.
“Putin’s goal is to occupy all of Ukraine. And no matter what he tells anyone, it is clear that he has set the war machine in motion to such an extent that he simply cannot stop it unless he is forced to fundamentally change his personal goals,” Zelenskyy said.
He also urged Western partners to press China to use its leverage with Russia to rein in Moscow’s military campaign.
Trump warns sanctions could escalate
Trump, in an interview with Fox & Friends, suggested that Moscow’s refusal to compromise was testing his patience.
“It’s sort of running out and running out fast, but it does take two to tango,” Trump said. “It’s amazing. When Putin wants to do it, Zelenskyy didn’t. When Zelenskyy wanted to do it, Putin didn’t. Now Zelenskyy wants to, and Putin is a question mark. We’re going to have to come down very, very strong.”
While the US president has repeatedly threatened further sanctions, Kyiv has expressed frustration that Washington has not yet imposed tougher measures directly on Moscow.
Drones over Poland heighten NATO fears
Tensions spiked this week when Poland reported that 19 Russian drones had entered its airspace, prompting NATO allies to scramble fighter jets and shoot down three of them.
“Russia’s reckless actions represent… a destabilizing escalation,” Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki said at an emergency UN Security Council meeting.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the alliance would reinforce its eastern flank, with Denmark, France, Britain, and Germany set to deploy assets in the coming days.
Britain announced new measures against Russian weapons suppliers and its so-called “shadow fleet” of ships, while the European Union extended restrictions on more than 2,500 Russian officials and entities.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk dismissed Trump’s suggestion that the drone incident could have been accidental. “We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake,” he said. “But it wasn’t. And we know it.”
Tusk added that Poland was closer to “open conflict” than at any time since World War II.
Russian drills raise border tensions
Moscow has denied targeting Poland, accusing Warsaw of failing to provide evidence that the drones were Russian.
On Friday, Russia and Belarus launched joint military drills involving armoured vehicles, helicopters, and naval units in areas bordering Poland and Lithuania, as well as in the Baltic and Barents seas.
In response, Poland said it would station around 40,000 troops near its border with Belarus for the duration of the exercises.
