Ukraine rules out new talks with Russia before year-end

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that it will not engage in new negotiations with Russia before the end of the year, citing the lack of substantive progress in several rounds of talks. Moscow criticized the decision, with Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova saying it shows Kyiv "has no willingness to achieve peace."

Analysts say the battlefield situation has tilted against Ukraine, making any return to the negotiating table potentially favorable for Moscow, which could seek higher demands. At the same time, Kyiv is testing Washington's response, hoping to secure stronger U.S. and Western support.

Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsya said he was "not at all surprised" by the lack of progress, noting that Russian representatives repeatedly refused to discuss concrete proposals and instead suggested setting up working groups and communication channels to create the appearance of diplomatic movement. Since last summer, Ukraine has focused on pressuring its international partners to push Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy toward a direct meeting.

Russia, however, continues to blame Kyiv for the deadlock. Zakharova reiterated on Wednesday that Ukraine's move signals a lack of interest in peace. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia remains open to talks on Ukraine, but claimed Kyiv refuses to discuss anything and does not respond to questions, making unilateral progress impossible.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is still prepared to hold a second Russia–U.S. summit in Budapest. While no date has been set, he said bilateral contacts are ongoing.

Su Xiaohui, associate research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, said Washington has not abandoned efforts to resolve the crisis, but is unwilling to commit significant resources or funding, preferring Europe to shoulder the burden. Ukraine, she analyzed, is using its negotiating stance to test U.S. intentions – seeking more pressure on Russia, greater long-range strike support and a renewed U.S. commitment to backing Kyiv.

Russia has said it is ready to resume talks with Ukraine in Istanbul at any time, which Su interpreted as both Moscow and Kyiv seeking to avoid openly contradicting U.S. expectations. However, their positions remain far apart, making a breakthrough unlikely.

In Europe, countries are stepping up military and financial support for Kyiv. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Thursday that the EU will allocate €6 billion ($6.98 billion) to Ukraine using proceeds generated from frozen Russian assets. She called the approach the "most effective way" to finance assistance.

But Belgium, where the Euroclear clearinghouse holds a large share of the frozen assets, opposes the plan, warning that it could face legal and financial risks alone if Moscow seeks compensation. Belgium insists the EU must create a mechanism to ensure any consequences are shared across all member states. The Commission must submit a revised proposal by mid-December.

Von der Leyen said that if member states fail to reach agreement on the use of frozen Russian assets, two fallback financing options remain: raising funds on capital markets using flexibility within the EU budget, or pooling contributions from member states.

However, several EU officials cautioned that many governments already face tight fiscal constraints, and the latter two options would increase their burden. They believe von der Leyen is using the alternatives to pressure Belgium into backing the original plan.