Ukraine and Russia Were to Hold Secret Peace Talks, The Washington Post

Ukraine and Russia were supposed to send their delegations to Qatar this month for secret peace negotiations; however, these plans were disrupted due to military actions by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. This was reported by The Washington Post, citing anonymous sources.

According to the sources, some participants in the negotiations had hoped that the talks could lead to a more comprehensive agreement for ending the war. A diplomat informed about the negotiations stated that Russian officials postponed their meeting with Qatari officials following Ukraine's incursion into western Russia. The Moscow delegation labeled the situation as an "escalation," adding that Kyiv did not inform Doha about its cross-border offensive.

“Russia did not halt the negotiations; they said, ‘Give us time,’” the diplomat mentioned. Although Ukraine still intended to send its delegation to Doha, the source revealed that Qatar had declined, deeming a unilateral meeting unbeneficial.

In response to inquiries from The Washington Post, the office of the President of Ukraine issued a statement noting that the summit in Doha has been postponed due to the situation in the Middle East, but it will take place in August in a video conference format.

The Kremlin has not responded to requests for comments.