Russia and Ukraine in August planned to send a delegation to Doha, the capital of Qatar, to start negotiations on the refusal of strikes on energy infrastructure facilities from both sides. The Washington Post reported on August 17, citing anonymous sources in the executive branch and diplomatic circles.

According to the publication’s interlocutors, Successful negotiations would amount to a partial ceasefire and give Moscow and Kiev the opportunity to recover from a protracted “war of attrition.”

However, all these intentions were overturned by the unexpected invasion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces into the territory of the Kursk region.