Ukraine’s offensive derails secret efforts for partial cease-fire with Russia Officials say

The Washington Post has revealed that planned secret peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, intended to address attacks on energy infrastructure, were disrupted by recent military actions.

According to sources cited by the newspaper, both nations were preparing to send delegations to Qatar for discussions aimed at reaching a halt to strikes on energy targets, Caliber.Az reports.

However, the Russian side postponed the meeting in response to a recent Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region.

The planned talks in Doha were expected to be mediated by Qatar, with separate delegations from Russia and Ukraine scheduled to arrive for the negotiations. The goal was to forge a comprehensive agreement to end the ongoing conflict.

The escalation of hostilities in Kursk prompted Russia to inform Qatari officials that it considered the Ukrainian attack a serious escalation of the conflict.

"The Russian side did not cancel the talks; they simply requested more time," one source disclosed. Another added, "After the events in Kursk, the Russians withdrew."

For the past two months, Qatar had been facilitating negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, working towards an agreement to cease attacks on each other's energy infrastructure. Both sides had agreed to meet in Doha, with only minor details remaining to be resolved.