Russia says Ukraine peace talks frozen as NATO bolsters defences

Russia said Friday that bid talks with Kyiv were connected “pause” arsenic President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin inactive wanted to seizure the full of Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump meantime warned that helium was moving retired of patience with Putin, and the NATO confederation said it would bolster its eastbound beforehand aft Russian drones were changeable down successful Polish airspace this week.

The latest stroke to faltering diplomacy came arsenic Russia’s service staged large subject drills with its cardinal state Belarus.

Despite Trump forcing the warring sides to clasp nonstop talks and hosting Putin successful Alaska, determination has been nary important advancement towards ending the warfare launched by Russia’s February 2022 invasion.

Russia’s service has gained territory and Putin has vowed to transportation connected warring if his bid demands — including Ukraine ceding yet much onshore — are not met.

“Our negotiators person the accidental to pass done channels. But for now, it is astir apt much close to speech astir a pause” successful talks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

“You can’t deterioration rose-tinted glasses and expect that the dialog process volition output contiguous results,” helium added.

Speaking astatine a league successful Kyiv, Zelensky said the West should not spot Putin.

“Putin’s extremity is to inhabit each of Ukraine. And nary substance what helium tells anyone, it is wide that helium has acceptable the warfare instrumentality successful question to specified an grade that helium simply cannot halt it unless helium is forced to fundamentally alteration his idiosyncratic goals,” Zelensky said.

– Trump’s patience ‘running out’ –

The Ukrainian person besides called connected allies to promote China to usage its leverage with Russia to halt Moscow’s offensive.

Trump has repeatedly threatened Russia with further sanctions if it does not halt the assault, but has failed to travel through, frustrating Ukraine.

“It’s benignant of moving retired and moving retired fast, but it does instrumentality 2 to tango,” Trump told Fox tv erstwhile asked if his patience was being taxed by Russia’s refusal to extremity the conflict.

“It’s amazing. When Putin wants to bash it, Zelensky didn’t. When Zelensky wanted to bash it, Putin didn’t. Now Zelensky wants to and Putin is simply a question mark. We’re going to person to travel down very, precise strong,” helium added.

Ukraine has ruled retired making territorial concessions successful speech for a deal, and is calling for a Putin-Zelensky acme to interruption the deadlock.

Putin has efficaciously ruled that out, and has threatened to people immoderate Western soldiers that mightiness beryllium sent to Ukraine arsenic peacekeepers without his approval.

Russia’s penetration has killed tens of thousands of radical successful Ukraine, forced millions from their homes and devastated overmuch of the country’s eastbound and south.

– Drone tensions –

Tensions are precocious crossed Europe aft Poland said Wednesday that 19 Russian drones had flown done its airspace, 3 of which were downed aft Warsaw and NATO allies scrambled combatant jets.

Poland and astir 40 of its allies denounced the intrusion connected Friday, calling connected Moscow to debar further “provocations”.

“Russia’s reckless actions represent… a destabilizing escalation,” Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki said earlier an exigency gathering of the United Nations Security Council requested by his country.

NATO main Mark Rutte said the confederation would reenforce its eastbound flank pursuing the incident, with Denmark, France, Britain and Germany contributing “assets” successful coming days.

Britain announced caller sanctions against Russia targeting weapons, instrumentality suppliers and its “shadow fleet” of sanction-dodging ships.

The European Union meantime extended sanctions against much than 2,500 Russian officials and entities for six months.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said it was not a “mistake” that the drones flew implicit his country, rejecting Trump’s proposition it could person been an accident.

Tusk warned this week that Poland was present person to...