The Kremlin said on Friday that a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy could only happen as a final step to seal a peace deal.

The Kremlin ruled out a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before achieving major progress on a peace deal, raising doubt on ending the war before President Trump’s proposed 50-day deadline.

Russian officials are attempting to delay high-level negotiations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a new assessment by the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).