Ukraine and Russia were set to reach a landmark cease-fire, with both nations set to send delegations to Doha this month, diplomats and officials familiar with the discussions told The Washington Post.
The talks, in which the Qataris would serve as mediators, were scuttled by Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk region last week. The move came in response to a year of Russian strikes on Ukraine's power grid.
According to officials who spoke to the Post on the condition of anonymity, there was hope that the negotiations would lead to an end to the war, or at least a limited cease-fire.
A diplomat told the Post that Russian officials postponed the meeting following the "escalation" by Ukraine, saying Russia "didn't call off the talks, they said give us time."
The Ukrainian presidential office said the summit in Doha would take place virtually on Aug. 22.
This is set against the backdrop of Russia's continued bombing campaign on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, which could leave civilians without power during the brutal winter months.
"We have one change to get through this winter, and that's if the Russians won't launch any new attacks on the grid," a Ukrainian official said.
According to one diplomat, Qatar has been working behind the scenes to broker a moratorium on the energy strikes with Kyiv and Moscow for the past two months.
"After Kursk, the Russians balked," the source said.
One individual closely aligned with senior Russian diplomats said Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to strike a deal following the Kursk incursion.
"You know our Russian leadership usually does not make any compromise under pressure," the source said.