What happened
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The negotiation process between Russia and Ukraine is on hold«. According to him, the channels of communication between the negotiating groups remain open, but «we should not expect quick results».
Moscow's arguments
- The Kremlin blames the lack of progress on European countries, which allegedly «hinder» progress towards an agreement.
- The rhetoric is accompanied by the thesis that Russia is «ready for further contacts», but without specific steps or a timetable for resuming the dialogue.
The context of the events
- The statement came amid heightened tensions in the region, including the launch of the large-scale West 2025 exercise in Russia and Belarus and discussions in Europe about how to respond to Russian drone incidents.
- Earlier, a number of Western officials and analysts publicly discussed the conditions under which economic and political pressure could bring Moscow back to substantive negotiations.
What it means
- Promptly: the pause de facto fixes the absence of a productive track of negotiations, leaving room only for technical contacts.
- Politically: The shift of responsibility to «Europe» looks like an attempt by the Kremlin to shape the information narrative ahead of possible Western decisions on sanctions and security support for Ukraine.
What's next
- Kyiv and its Western partners are likely to continue to insist on security guarantees and a change in Russia's behaviour as a precondition for meaningful negotiations. In the meantime, there is no reason to expect the peace track to restart soon.
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