Ongoing diplomatic efforts involving Ukraine, the US and Russia have been temporarily put on hold as Washington focuses its attention on escalating tensions in the Middle East, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi told reporters in Kyiv that several rounds of planned trilateral consultations have already been postponed, and further delays are now expected.
“Several upcoming rounds of trilateral consultations between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States have already been rescheduled multiple times. As of now, they have been pushed back again,” he said.
“They haven’t been canceled or abandoned, just delayed. There’s no need to read anything more into it,” Tykhyi continued.
President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously confirmed that the US had pushed back several rounds of talks as it continues to pursue military action in Iran.
Despite the pause in formal meetings, Tykhyi emphasized that communication between the parties is ongoing.
“Under these conditions, the negotiating track is on pause, although the teams remain in daily contact,” he said.
The Foreign Ministry stressed that “there is real, working-level contact,” but noted that meaningful progress will require face-to-face discussions, ideally at the level of national leaders.
At the same time, Tykhyi noted that Moscow has not demonstrated willing to engage constructively in efforts to end the war.
On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Kyiv of not being “ready to resolve the conflict through diplomatic means” and said Russia would continue to fight.
“President Putin has repeatedly confirmed that we are unequivocally committed to a negotiated solution. But since the Kyiv regime is not ready for this, we will achieve the goals of the special military operation on the ground,” he said.
On Wednesday, Zelensky said he has a “very bad feeling” about the impact of the war in the Middle East on Iran.
He warned that the conflict, now in its third week, is draining Western weapons supplies and delaying peace efforts.