Drone attacks by Ukraine disrupted resumption of peace talks: Putin tells Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin informed U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday that Ukraine's drone attacks during the parliamentary elections in late September disrupted the resumption of trilateral peace talks involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, according to the Kremlin.<br><br>

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov stated that Putin noted Moscow had been ready to restart negotiations with Kyiv after the elections, but the alleged drone strikes had thwarted those plans. Ushakov said the attacks targeted Moscow, other cities, polling stations, and specific individuals involved in organizing the elections on the day of voting.<br><br>

Ushakov added that the Kremlin would now consider when the negotiations could be resumed, referring to the ongoing discussions among the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine. The talks have been ongoing since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but have yet to produce a peace deal.<br><br>

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported on Thursday that the conflict had reached a dangerous stalemate and that Washington would continue working towards a settlement. Ushakov also mentioned that Putin and Trump discussed major economic initiatives, including potential Russian fuel supplies.<br><br>

After the call, Trump claimed that Russia had agreed to immediately supply diesel to U.S. and global markets, asserting that the move would help lower fuel prices ahead of the upcoming U.S. midterm elections in November. However, analysts doubted that the proposed fuel supplies would have a significant impact on prices.