LONDON — Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the Izvestia newspaper in an interview published Wednesday that Russia sees “no grounds for negotiations yet” to end Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

President-elect Donald Trump’s imminent return to the White House has revived speculation as to a possible deal to end Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor, which by the time Trump takes office again will be nearly three years old.

Russia still occupies around 20% of Ukraine and claims to have annexed four entire regions — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia — though it only partially occupies the areas it claims.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his top officials have repeatedly said that Kyiv and its Western partners must accept the “new territorial realities” of Russian occupation, including of Crimea which was annexed in 2014.

Both Moscow and Kyiv have raised the prospect of renewed peace talks in recent weeks, though the two sides still appear far apart on key issues. Among them are the fate of the partially- or fully-occupied Ukrainian regions and Kyiv’s ambition to join NATO.

Peskov told Izvestia that “many countries have declared the readiness to host” possible peace talks, among them Qatar.

“Indeed, the emirate has been a very active mediator in various areas, it has been quite effective,” he added. “Besides, our bilateral relations with Qatar have been developing perfectly. We are grateful to all states, among them Qatar, for their goodwill.”

Russian and Ukrainian leaders are spending the last months of President Joe Biden’s time in office trying to gain leverage on the military and diplomatic fronts.

Former Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson announced on Wednesday that he had returned to Russia to interview Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Carlson interviewed Putin in February and has been a fierce critic of the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine.

Zelenskyy, meanwhile, has spent the last week receiving high-level allied visits in Kyiv. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Council President Antonio Costa and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas all travelled to the Ukrainian capital, with Scholz pledging $680 million in new military aid.

The U.S. also announced this week its latest tranche of military support worth some $750 million. Zelenskyy said such support is “exactly what we need.”

Ukrainian forces need “significant reinforcement, particularly through weapons from our partners,” the president said on Tuesday, amid difficult battlefield conditions.

Russian forces continue to advance in the east of Ukraine, while pressing their efforts to eject Ukrainian troops from Russia’s western Kursk region where Kyiv’s forces took up positions in a surprise August offensive.

Meanwhile, both sides continue long-range drone and missile attacks. Russia’s strikes are focused on Ukraine’s energy network, while Kyiv continues to target military sites and oil infrastructure facilities.

On Wednesday, Ukraine’s air force reported 28 Russia drones launched into the country overnight, of which 22 were shot down and three went off course. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 35 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Peace talk speculation looks set to continue through to Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

Oleksandr Merezhko — a member of parliament representing Zelenskyy’s party and the chair of the body’s foreign affairs committee — told ABC News it is possible that Russia may soften its inflexible negotiating position in 2025.

“Putin is afraid of Trump and considers him to be unpredictable and stronger than Biden,” said Merezhko, who last month nominated the president-elect for next year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

“At the moment, Putin is in a hurry to grab as much territory as he can and to get the Kursk region back,” Merezhko said. “He is trying to improve his position before Trump coming to power and before the possible negotiations.”

Rescuers were desperately searching for a grandmother who they believe fell into a gaping sinkhole — holding out hope of finding her despite the difficult rescue conditions.

The search and rescue mission has, so far, not turned up any signs of Elizabeth Pollard in Unity Township, Pennsylvania State Police said Tuesday.

“Hopefully she’s in an air pocket,” authorities said, noting that there have been incidents in the region where people have survived similar situations in underground mines. “This is a rescue to me until something says that it’s not.”

The sinkhole is believed to be tied to an abandoned coal mine, officials said.

Search crews have been able to make entry into the mine area, Trooper Steve Limani told reporters at the scene Tuesday evening. The search will continue as long as needed pending any safety concerns, he said.

Rescue teams from nearby areas have joined forces, swapping shifts to keep the effort going. Oxygen tankers are being delivered regularly to supply the mine shaft, and crews have made progress entering the underground area.

The conditions are tough, with clay-like soil making it difficult to dig, but rescuers remain determined. “We’re doing everything we can, and no one is giving up,” said Liman

He added, “It’s heartbreaking for her family and everyone here. But we’re not stopping. We’re all hoping for a miracle.”

Pollard was reported missing by a family member shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday, Limani said at an earlier press conference Tuesday.

Pollard was last seen around 5 p.m. Monday, Limani said. The family member said Pollard had gone out to look for her cat Monday afternoon but has not been heard from since, he said.

Pollard’s vehicle was located shortly before 3 a.m. Tuesday with her 5-year-old granddaughter inside, though Pollard was nowhere to be seen, police said.

“At that point in time we realized this could be a very bad situation,” Limani said.

While searching for Pollard in the area, troopers found an apparent sinkhole with an opening about the “size of a manhole” 15 to 20 feet away from the vehicle, Limani said.

Emergency responders were called to the scene in what is currently being considered a rescue mission, authorities said. Local firefighters, a technical rescue team and the state’s Bureau of Mine Safety are among those working alongside an excavation team to remove dirt to access the sinkhole, Limani said.

The current evidence points toward Pollard being in the sinkhole, Limani said.

“We don’t feel a reason that we should be looking elsewhere,” he said.

The sinkhole appears to have been created during the time that Pollard was walking around, Limani said, noting that there is no evidence that the hole was there before she started looking for her cat.

A camera inserted into the opening of the sinkhole showed a “big void, and it was all different depths,” Marguerite Fire Chief Scot Graham told reporters during the earlier press briefing.

“The process is long and it is tedious,” Graham said.

A camera did not pick up any sounds, though authorities did see a “modern-type” shoe in the sinkhole, according to Pleasant Unity Fire Chief John Bacha.

The mine last operated in 1952, according to the state’s Department of Environmental Protection. The depth to the coal seam in this area is approximately 20 feet, a department spokesperson said.

Once the scene is clear, the department will investigate the site “to determine if this issue is the result of historic mine subsidence,” the spokesperson said.

Pollard’s granddaughter is safe, despite the cold temperatures overnight, and is currently with her parents, Limani said.

The family is asking for privacy at this time and is hoping for “good news,” he said.

“We need to get a little bit lucky,” Limani said. “We’re going to do everything we can.”

ABC News’ Alexandra Faul and Jason Volack contributed to this report.