Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are on hold. The Kremlin has accused Europe of obstructing the process, Reuters reports.
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have held three rounds of direct talks this year in Istanbul, the last of which was on July 23. The talks have yielded only a few agreements on prisoner exchanges and the return of bodies of fallen soldiers. The two sides remain far from consensus on what a possible peace deal might look like.
Russia accuses Kiev of not recognizing "realities on the ground", while Ukraine says Moscow is feigning interest in the talks while continuing to try to take more of its territory. US President Donald Trump's efforts to broker a deal have so far failed.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the channels of communication between Russia and Ukraine are available and functioning. Our negotiators have the opportunity to communicate through these channels. But for now, it is probably more accurate to say that there is a pause, he explained.
Moscow has resisted proposals by European countries and Britain to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, which could include the deployment of NATO troops on the ground after a possible peace agreement, saying it cannot accept such a move.
Peskov said that the Russian side remains ready to follow the path of peaceful dialogue. But the fact that the Europeans are obstructing this is no secret to anyone, he added.