Ukraine peace talks on ‘situational pause’ as Middle East conflict intensifies: Kremlin

Ukraine peace talks are on a “situational pause” as the Middle East conflict intensifies, the Kremlin said Thursday, even as Kyiv signaled negotiations could resume as soon as this weekend.

Following reports in Russian media that the Kremlin had paused talks on Ukraine and that the Middle East conflict could push Kyiv toward compromise, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the pause.

“This is a situational pause, for obvious reasons,” Peskov told reporters when asked about the report, according to Reuters.

Peskov added that as soon as “our American partners” could refocus on the Ukraine conflict, Moscow hopes the pause will end and new talks can begin, the outlet reported.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video posted on X that Kyiv has received signals from the U.S. that it is ready to resume talks aimed at ending the war.

“There has been a pause in the talks, and it is time to resume them,” he said. “We are doing everything to ensure that the negotiations are genuinely substantive.”

Zelenskyy added that a Ukrainian negotiating team is already on its way to the U.S. and is expected to hold meetings Saturday.

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Earlier this month, President Donald Trump said the “hatred” between Russia and Ukraine was getting in the way of reaching a peace deal.

Speaking at the Shield of the Americas Summit in Doral, Florida, Trump said the “hatred between Putin and his counterpart is so great.”

“It’s so great that, you know, Ukraine, Russia, you’d think there would be a little bit of camaraderie, [but] there’s not. And the hatred is so great. It’s very hard for them to get there. It’s very, very hard to get there. So we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “But we’ve been close a lot of times and one or the other would back out.”

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Trump’s comments came after NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in January that Russia was losing between 20,000 and 25,000 troops each month in its war against Ukraine.

The pause in talks comes as Ukraine is increasingly being drawn into the wider Middle East conflict.

With the conflict in Iran now in its third week, Ukraine is providing technology and battlefield-tested tactics to counter Iranian drone attacks.

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U.S. and Gulf partners have requested Ukrainian assistance, with Kyiv signaling it is prepared to share both systems and personnel to help defend against Iranian aerial threats.

Iran’s new supreme leader linked to properties with ‘line of sight’ into Israeli UK Embassy

Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been linked to two luxury apartments overlooking the Israeli Embassy in London, a location that security experts said could provide “permanent surveillance,” according to multiple reports.

The multimillion-dollar Kensington properties sit next to the high-profile embassy compound and were identified by UK media, drawing on findings from a yearlong probe into Khamenei’s potential overseas assets.

The Times of London reported on March 5 that the one building “sits next to the Israeli Embassy on Palace Green,” placing the residences in exceptional proximity to one of Israel’s most sensitive diplomatic sites.

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The revelations stem from a Bloomberg investigation that alleged that the Khamenei portfolio could span multiple countries and include high-value real estate in London, totaling around $138M as well as assets in Europe and the Gulf.

The two London apartments were reportedly acquired in 2014 and 2016 via intermediaries and occupy upper floors of the building, offering a direct vantage point toward the rear of the Israeli embassy compound, UK media reported.

A terrorism specialist quoted in reports said the positioning effectively means “Iran owns the view into the back of the Israeli Embassy from less than 50 meters away,” describing the situation as a potential “serious security breach.”

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Roger Macmillan, a former director of security at the Iranian dissident satellite channel Iran International, also said the two apartments had “a direct line of sight, held through Mojtaba Khamenei. That’s not a property portfolio — it’s a permanent surveillance platform.”

“This is a serious security breach,” he added.

Further details from Bloomberg’s investigation indicated that a businessman acted as a financial conduit, buying up high-end properties on Khamenei’s behalf and channeling funds through a network of investments.

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The investigation also found that 11 mansions on London’s “Billionaire’s Row” were purchased using an Isle of Man shell company.

The Financial Times has also similarly reported on links between Khamenei’s associates and luxury assets across Europe.

Khamenei, 56, has been viewed as a powerful figure within Iran’s ruling establishment, ultimately becoming the leading successor to his father, who was killed in a Tehran compound strike on Feb. 28. 

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So far, since he was selected by Iran’s Assembly of Experts, he has not been seen in public.

Iranian women’s soccer team returns home after declining asylum in Australia: report

Earlier this month, Australia granted asylum to five members of the Iranian women’s soccer team who were visiting the country for a tournament when the U.S. and Israel launched a joint military campaign against the country. 

The remaining members of the team faced uncertainty.

After the team was knocked out of the Women’s Asian Cup, most of the players who initially sought asylum later changed their minds.

On Wednesday, all but two ultimately returned to Iran after declining asylum offers in Australia, according to unconfirmed Iranian state media reports.

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Video circulating on social media showed the soccer players entering Iran after a flight landed in Turkey. Those same athletes were previously seen traveling through the country by bus shortly after the flight returned to Iran. Multiple officials were reportedly present at the border when the soccer team arrived.

Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh were the two members of the Iranian national team who reportedly elected to stay behind in Australia. Both have been training with the Brisbane Roar club.

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Iran’s squad arrived in Australia for the tournament shortly before the war began Feb. 28. The team initially gained global attention after some players stayed silent during Iran’s national anthem before their first game.

When the team was knocked out of the tournament and faced the prospect of returning to a country under bombardment, calls grew for Australia’s government to offer the women asylum. Iranian groups in Australia and President Donald Trump were among those who expressed fears for the women’s safety.

Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref last week dismissed suggestions the women would be unsafe if they returned home, saying the country “welcomes its children with open arms and the government guarantees their security.”

Trump also commented on the Iranian men’s team’s World Cup participation, suggesting last week that while the squad is “welcome” to compete in the U.S. after qualifying, it might not be “appropriate.”

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“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” Trump wrote in a post to Truth Social post March 12.

Iran’s men’s team is slated to play in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand June 15. It is also scheduled to face Belgium June 21 before finishing group play against Egypt in Seattle June 26. The U.S. is hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.