KYIV: Russia said Friday that peace talks with Ukraine were on “pause” as President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin still wanted to capture the whole of Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump meanwhile warned that he was running out of patience with Putin, and the NATO alliance said it would bolster its eastern front after Russian drones were shot down in Polish airspace this week.
The latest blow to faltering diplomacy came as Russia’s army staged major military drills with its key ally Belarus.
Despite Trump forcing the warring sides to hold direct talks and hosting Putin in Alaska, there has been no significant progress toward ending the war launched by Russia’s February 2022 invasion.
Moscow’s army has gained territory and Putin has vowed to carry on fighting if his peace demands — including Ukraine ceding yet more land — are not met.
“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.
“You can’t wear rose-tinted glasses and expect that the negotiation process will yield immediate results,” he added.
Speaking at a conference in Kyiv, Zelensky said the West should not trust Putin.
“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,” Zelensky said.
- Trump’s patience ‘running out’ -
The Ukrainian leader also called on allies to encourage China to use its leverage with Russia to stop Moscow’s offensive.
Trump has repeatedly threatened Russia with additional sanctions if it does not halt the assault, but has failed to follow through, frustrating Ukraine.
“It’s sort of running out and running out fast, but it does take two to tango,” Trump told Fox television when asked if his patience was being taxed by Russia’s refusal to end the conflict.
“It’s amazing. When Putin wants to do it, Zelensky didn’t. When Zelensky wanted to do it, Putin didn’t. Now Zelensky wants to and Putin is a question mark. We’re going to have to come down very, very strong,” he added.
Ukraine has ruled out making territorial concessions in exchange for a deal, and is calling for a Putin-Zelensky summit to break the deadlock.
Putin has effectively ruled that out, and has threatened to target any Western soldiers that might be sent to Ukraine as peacekeepers without his approval.
Russia’s invasion has killed tens of thousands of people in Ukraine, forced millions from their homes and devastated much of the country’s east and south.
