Trump's Patience With Putin Runs Thin As Ukraine Talks Hit Pause

Moscow said Friday that peace talks with Ukraine were on hold, as US President Donald Trump again warned he is losing patience with Russian leader Vladimir Putin; however, he stopped short of threatening new sanctions over the Ukraine war.

Trump's efforts to end the three-and-a-half-year war have faltered in recent weeks, with Russia refusing to compromise and continuing its ground and aerial attacks. 

The new standoff comes as Russia and Belarus launched major joint military drills Friday morning, alarming NATO days after Poland accused Moscow of escalating tensions by firing attack drones through its airspace.

Three rounds of direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, as well as a summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska, have failed to make any progress towards ending the fighting.

Moreover, Putin has vowed to carry on fighting if his demands for peace -- including Ukraine ceding yet more land -- are not met.

"Our negotiators have the opportunity to communicate through channels. But for now, it is probably more accurate to talk about a pause" in talks with Kyiv, news agency AFP quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying. 

"You can't wear rose-tinted glasses and expect that the negotiation process will yield immediate results," he added.

Trump has repeatedly threatened Moscow with additional sanctions if it does not halt its offensive, but has failed to follow through. 

"It's sort of running out and running out fast, but it does take two to tango," Trump told Fox television when asked if his patience was running out because of Russia's refusal to end the conflict.

"It's amazing. When Putin wanted to do it,  Zelensky didn't. When Zelensky wanted to do it, Putin didn't. Now Zelensky wants to, and Putin is a question mark. We're going to have to come down very, very strong," he added.

Ukraine, on the other hand, has ruled out giving up land in exchange for a deal and is calling for a Putin-Zelensky summit to break the deadlock.

Meanwhile, Putin has ruled out that idea and has issued a threat to target any Western soldiers that might be sent to Kyiv as peacekeepers without his approval.

Drone Tensions In Europe

Tensions are high across Europe after Poland said Wednesday that 19 Russian drones had flown through its airspace, three of which were shot down after Warsaw and NATO allies scrambled fighter jets. 

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said it was not a "mistake" that the drones flew over his country, rejecting Trump's suggestion it could have been an accident. He warned earlier this week that Warsaw was closer to "open conflict" than at any point since World War II over the incident.

Russia had denied targeting Poland and said there was no evidence that the drones were Russian.

Meanwhile, the Russian and Belarusian "Zapad" military exercises are also keeping Poland and the Baltic states on edge.

Russia's defence ministry released a video showing heavy military equipment -- including armoured vehicles, helicopters, and navy ships -- participating in the drills.

Moscow said its troops would practice aerial reconnaissance and missile strikes on ground targets. Ships from the Northern Fleet had also been deployed in the Baltic and Barents seas.

Both Moscow and Minsk have rejected accusations that they pose a danger, despite warnings from Poland, the Baltics, and Zelensky.

Poland said around 40,000 troops would be stationed near the border with Belarus for the duration of the drills, while Lithuania and Latvia announced partial airspace closures.

No 'Immediate Threat' 

NATO sought to downplay concerns, with a spokesman saying it did "not see any immediate military threat against any NATO ally," news agency AFP reported. 

Part of the exercises takes place in Belarus's Grodno region, which borders both Poland and Lithuania, Minsk said.

Belarus had said in January that 13,000 troops would be involved, but in May it had said the number was to be cut by around half.

On the battlefield, Russia claimed to have captured another small settlement in Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region.

Moscow also accused Kyiv of targeting a nuclear plant in an overnight drone attack. 

Sanctions Against Russia Extended

The European Union (EU) countries on Friday prolonged sanctions over the war for another six months on more than 2,500 Russian individuals and entities, including President Vladimir Putin.

Japan also expanded sanctions against Russia, freezing the assets of more people and groups, as well as slashing the Russian oil price cap. 

Britain imposed fresh sanctions this week on Russian weapons suppliers and its "shadow fleet" of old tankers used to bypass oil restrictions.

(With inputs from AFP)