Peace talks in Ukraine are on a “situational pause” as the conflict in the Middle East intensifies, the Kremlin said on Thursday, while Kiev indicated negotiations could resume as soon as this weekend.
Following reports in Russian media that the Kremlin had paused talks on Ukraine and that the conflict in the Middle East could force Kiev to compromise, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the pause.
“This is a situational pause, for obvious reasons,” Peskov told reporters when asked about the report, according to Reuters.
Peskov added that once “our American partners” can refocus on the conflict in Ukraine, Moscow hopes the pause will end and new talks can begin, the newspaper reported.
UKRAINE MEETS TRUMP FACILITIES FOR HIGH STRIKES GENEVA Talks to RUSSIA as the war enters its fifth year
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a briefing in Kiev, Ukraine, Saturday, January 3, 2026. (Danylo Antoniuk/AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video on X that Kiev has received signals from the US that it is ready to resume talks aimed at ending the war.
“There has been a lull in the talks and it is time to resume them,” he said. “We are doing everything we can to ensure that the negotiations are truly substantive.”
Zelenskyy added that a Ukrainian negotiating team is already on its way to the US and is expected to hold meetings on Saturday.
RUSSIA AND UKRAINE DISCUSS TERRITORY, AS TRUMP SAYS BOTH SIDES ‘WANT TO MAKE A DEAL’
Firefighters extinguish the fire in the ruins of an apartment building after the Russian missile attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump said the “hatred” between Russia and Ukraine is preventing a peace deal from being reached.
Speaking at the Shield of the Americas Summit in Doral, Florida, Trump said the “hatred between Putin and his counterpart is so great.”
“It’s so great that, you know, Ukraine, Russia, you would think there would be a little bit of camaraderie, [but] There isn’t. And the hatred is so great. It is very difficult for them to get there. It’s very, very difficult to get there. So we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “But we’ve been close many times and one or the other would back off.”
UKRAINE’S ZELENSKYY: RUSSIA TRYING TO PLAY GAME WITH TRUMP, PEACE TALKS
US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands at a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club on December 28, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Trump’s comments came after NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in January that Russia is losing between 20,000 and 25,000 troops every month in its war against Ukraine.
The pause in talks comes as Ukraine becomes increasingly involved in the broader conflict in the Middle East.
As the conflict in Iran enters its third week, Ukraine is providing technology and battlefield-tested tactics to counter Iranian drone attacks.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
US and Gulf partners have asked for Ukrainian help, with Kiev signaling its willingness to share both systems and personnel to defend against Iranian air threats.
