Covert negotiations in Qatar: Kursk incursion derails Ukrainian and Russian ceasefire talks
Prior to the Ukrainian Armed Forces' advance into Russia's Kursk region, attempts were made to hold mediated talks in Qatar between Kyiv and Moscow to agree on refraining from inflicting mutual damage to each other's energy sectors, said Anatoliy Burmych from the "Reconstruction of Ukraine" parliamentary faction during a broadcast on "Novini.LIVE."
"I have information that there was an attempt even before the Kursk operation to hold negotiations in Qatar through intermediaries, to discuss how to refrain from causing mutual harm to energy infrastructure," said the MP.
There hasn't been any official confirmation of Anatoliy Burmych's statements regarding the negotiations yet.
On August 17, The Washington Post reported that Ukraine and Russia were allegedly planning to send delegations to Doha for talks aimed at reaching an agreement to halt attacks on energy facilities and infrastructure on both sides. Qatari officials were expected to mediate, holding separate meetings with Ukrainian and Russian delegates. The negotiations were disrupted due to the unexpected Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region.
A diplomat familiar with the negotiations said that Qatar had been discussing a moratorium on attacks on energy targets with both Ukraine and Russia for the past two months. The official noted that both sides had agreed to a summit in Doha, with only minor details left to finalize.
In a comment to the media, the Ukrainian President's Office stated that the summit in Qatar was postponed due to the situation in the Middle East. However, the talks would take place via videoconference on August 22, after which Kyiv would consult with its partners on implementing the discussed issues.
On the same day, President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that the operation in the Kursk region was proceeding as Ukraine had planned.
On August 19, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that no direct or indirect negotiations had been held or were ongoing between Russia and Ukraine regarding the security of critical civilian infrastructure.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also emphasized that after the incursion into the Kursk region, negotiations were entirely off the table. He labeled reports of "covert contacts" between Moscow and Kyiv with Qatari and Turkish mediation as mere rumors.