Russia denied the report that Ukraine's attack on the Kursk region has failed indirect talks with Kiev to stop strikes on energy sites, saying there have been no talks with Kiev about civilian infrastructure facilities, reports Reuters.
The Washington Post reported on Saturday that Ukraine and Russia would send delegations to Qatar this month to negotiate a deal to end strikes on energy infrastructure by the two warring countries.
The newspaper said the agreement would have amounted to a partial ceasefire, but the talks broke down due to Ukraine's attack on sovereign Russian territory.
"Nobody failed anything because there was nothing to fail," Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said of the article.
"There have been no direct or indirect negotiations between Russia and the Kiev regime regarding the safety of civilian critical infrastructure sites," Zakharova is categorical.
Ukraine's government did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Washington Post reported that Ukraine's presidential office said the Doha meeting had been postponed due to the situation in the Middle East and would be held via video conference on August 22.
Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of striking civilian infrastructure during the war. Both sides deny doing so.
Zakharova then quoted President Vladimir Putin, who on August 12 questioned what kind of negotiations he could have with Ukraine after its ground attack on Russia and "attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure."
"There is nothing to talk about with people who unleash such things,", Zakharova said.