Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are on hold, the Kremlin has announced, accusing European countries of obstructing negotiations, while United States President Donald Trump warns he may be running out of patience with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
The comments on Friday come as Moscow says it remains open to dialogue, while it escalates its bombardment of Ukrainian cities and fierce fighting rages in Donetsk in the east.
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“The channels of communication are in place and functioning. Our negotiators can communicate through them. But for now, it is probably more accurate to say there is a pause,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.
“The Russian side remains ready to pursue the path of peaceful dialogue. But it is true that the Europeans are hindering this,” he added without elaborating.
Kyiv’s European allies have been readying further sanctions on Moscow, urging Washington to do the same, and pressing for a ceasefire that failed to materialise after Trump hosted Putin for a summit in Alaska last month.
In an interview with Fox News on Friday, Trump, when asked if his patience with Putin had run out, said: “Yeah. It’s sort of running out and running out fast.”
The US president said he had long had a good relationship with Putin, but expressed frustration at his failure to end the war.
“We’re going to have to come down very, very strong,” he said, adding that sanctions on banks and oil were an option, along with tariffs.
“But I’ve already done it. I’ve done a lot,” Trump said, noting that India – one of the biggest buyers of Russian oil – was facing a 50 percent tariff on its exports to the US.
“That’s not an easy thing to do. That’s a big deal and it causes a rift with India,” he told the Fox & Friends programme. “And remember this, this is a Europe problem, much more than our problem.”
Russia-Belarus military exercises
Trump’s comments and the Kremlin statement came as Russia and Belarus began large-scale military exercises, raising alarm across NATO’s eastern flank just days after Warsaw accused Moscow of sending attack drones across Polish airspace, a major escalation that sent shivers through Europe.
The Zapad 2025 manoeuvres, which run from Friday until Tuesday, are taking place as Russian forces continue their slow advance in Ukraine and intensify air attacks on Ukrainian cities. The Kremlin insists the drills were planned…