Long pause

Russia says peace talks with Ukraine “on a long pause” over Kursk incursion

From CNN’s Sergey Gudkov in Moscow and Duarte Mendonca in London

Russia announced that they would be putting peace talks with Ukraine “on a long pause” after Ukraine launched a surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region last week.

“With their terrorist actions in the Kursk area Ukraine has, at minimum, put the peace talks track on pause for a long time,” the Russian Foreign Ministry’s special envoy Rodion Miroshnik said at a briefing on Wednesday.

Miroshnik said he thinks Ukraine’s incursion was done “deliberately” to stall negotiations. 

Peace efforts have long floundered. Russia has called on Ukraine to give up four of its eastern regions, something Kyiv considers unacceptable.

The exact purpose of Ukraine’s attack on Kursk is not known, but there is speculation it could be seeking a stronger hand should negotiations take place.