Russia has declared that offensive will resume after peace talks with Ukraine failed to materialise.

Aljezeera quoted the Kremlin to have said Russian troops have started advancing into Ukraine again after President Vladimir Putin allegedly paused Moscow’s offensive in anticipation of talks with Ukraine that failed to materialise.

Speaking to reporters at a news briefing at the Kremlin, spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Ukraine’s leadership of “refusing to negotiate”.

Recall that on Friday, Peskov said the Russian leader was ready to send a delegation of officials to Belarus, where Russia has stationed thousands of troops, for talks.

He later claimed Kyiv had proposed Warsaw as a venue instead and that negotiations over a potential meeting ended without an agreement because the Ukrainian side went silent.

“Since the Ukrainian side refused to negotiate, the advance of the Russian forces resumed this afternoon,” Peskov said at Saturday’s news briefing.