Ukraine peace talks on ‘situational pause’ as Middle East conflict intensifies: Kremlin

Ukraine bid talks are connected a "situational pause" arsenic the Middle East struggle intensifies, the Kremlin said Thursday, adjacent arsenic Kyiv signaled negotiations could resume arsenic soon arsenic this weekend.

Following reports successful Russian media that the Kremlin had paused talks connected Ukraine and that the Middle East struggle could propulsion Kyiv toward compromise, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the pause.

"This is simply a situational pause, for evident reasons," Peskov told reporters erstwhile asked astir the report, according to Reuters.

Peskov added that arsenic soon arsenic "our American partners" could refocus connected the Ukraine conflict, Moscow hopes the intermission volition extremity and caller talks tin begin, the outlet reported.

UKRAINE TO MEET TRUMP ENVOYS AHEAD OF HIGH-STAKES GENEVA TALKS WITH RUSSIA AS WAR ENTERS FIFTH YEAR

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a briefing successful Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Danylo Antoniuk/AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said successful a video posted connected X that Kyiv has received signals from the U.S. that it is acceptable to resume talks aimed astatine ending the war.

"There has been a intermission successful the talks, and it is clip to resume them," helium said. "We are doing everything to guarantee that the negotiations are genuinely substantive."

Zelenskyy added that a Ukrainian negotiating squad is already connected its mode to the U.S. and is expected to clasp meetings Saturday.

RUSSIA, UKRAINE TO DISCUSS TERRITORY AS TRUMP SAYS BOTH SIDES 'WANT TO MAKE A DEAL'

Firefighters enactment retired the occurrence successful the ruins of an flat gathering pursuing Russia's rocket onslaught successful Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump said the "hatred" betwixt Russia and Ukraine was getting successful the mode of reaching a bid deal.

Speaking astatine the Shield of the Americas Summit successful Doral, Florida, Trump said the "hatred betwixt Putin and his counterpart is truthful great."

"It's so large that, you know, Ukraine, Russia, you'd think there would be a small spot of camaraderie, [but] there’s not. And the hatred is truthful great. It's very hard for them to get there. It's very, precise hard to get there. So we'll see what happens," Trump said. "But we've been adjacent a batch of times and 1 oregon the different would backmost out."

UKRAINE'S ZELENSKYY: RUSSIA TRYING 'TO PLAY' GAME WITH TRUMP, STALL PEACE TALKS

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shingle hands astatine a quality league pursuing a gathering astatine Trump’s Mar-a-Lago nine connected December 28, 2025 successful Palm Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Trump’s comments came aft NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said successful January that Russia was losing betwixt 20,000 and 25,000 troops each period successful its warfare against Ukraine.

The intermission successful talks comes arsenic Ukraine is progressively being drawn into the wider Middle East conflict.

With the struggle successful Iran present successful its 3rd week, Ukraine is providing exertion and battlefield-tested tactics to antagonistic Iranian drone attacks.

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U.S. and Gulf partners person requested Ukrainian assistance, with Kyiv signaling it is prepared to stock some systems and unit to assistance support against Iranian aerial threats.

Fox News Digital's Greg Norman-Diamond and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report, on with Reuters.