The Ukrainian incursion “has derailed efforts to reach a partial cease-fire with Russia,” the Washington Post reported, adding that the Ukrainian incursion into Russia has derailed plans for indirect talks in Qatar on halting attacks on energy infrastructure. “Ukraine and Russia — the newspaper explains, citing diplomats and officials familiar with the discussions — were to send delegations to Doha this month to negotiate a historic agreement aimed at ending attacks on energy facilities and electricity infrastructure on both sides. The agreement was a partial cease-fire and would have provided a truce for both countries.

“But the indirect talks, with the Qataris acting as mediators who would meet separately with the Ukrainian and Russian delegations, were derailed by Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region last week,” the officials said. Russia “did not boycott the talks, but said it was giving us time,” the diplomat was quoted as saying. Ukraine still wanted to send its delegation to Doha, he added, but Qatar refused because it did not see a one-sided meeting as useful.