Hopes for an imminent resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict were dealt a blow on Friday as the Kremlin announced that peace negotiations are currently on hold, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s high-profile diplomatic efforts.

Speaking to reporters during a conference call, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the peace process is in a state of “pause,” urging observers not to expect rapid breakthroughs.

“Our negotiators have the opportunity to communicate through channels. But for now, it is probably more accurate to talk about a pause,” Peskov said, cautioning that “you can’t wear rose-tinted glasses and expect that the negotiation process will yield immediate results.”

The announcement comes as Moscow has escalated its military campaign. Just last week, Russia carried out its largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the war began more than three years ago. The strikes killed several people and set ablaze a government building in central Kyiv.

President Trump, who hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska in a bid to revive the peace process, has seen his mediation efforts falter. While three rounds of talks in Istanbul resulted in large-scale prisoner exchanges, they have produced little progress toward a lasting settlement.

Tensions remain high as Putin has refused to hold a direct summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who continues to insist that face-to-face talks are essential to break the deadlock.

Russia’s key demand remains Ukraine’s full surrender of the eastern Donbas region, parts of which are still under Kyiv’s control. Ukrainian officials have rejected such concessions and are instead calling for the deployment of European peacekeeping forces, a move Moscow firmly opposes.

With both sides digging in, analysts warn that the path to peace is narrowing and that the likelihood of a negotiated settlement is becoming increasingly remote. (ILKHA)