Officials from Russia and Ukraine have not met since shortly after the war between them started in early 2022 when Russian troops invaded Ukraine. But over the weekend, news of possible talks to be mediated by the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar emerged.

It could "have amounted to a partial cease-fire and offered a reprieve for both countries,"the Washington Post, the first media outlet to report on the planned talks, said.

The talks were canceled because of the movement of Ukrainian troops into Kursk, Russia. But news of their potential could well be seen as another triumph for the small, gas-rich Gulf state of Qatar.

This is far from the first time Qatar has been involved in conflicts outside of the Middle East. Qatar has helped do deals to release Americans held in Iran, Afghanistan and Venezuela, as well as return Ukrainian children to their families after they were taken to Russia. Qatar has also presided over diplomatic breakthroughs between Sudan and Chad, and Eritrea and Djibouti, as well as a 2011 Darfur peace deal.

In 2020, Qatar helped negotiate the US withdrawal from Afghanistan with the extremist Taliban group. And in November 2023, Qatari negotiators helped reacha temporary cease-fire in the Gaza conflict.

"Qatar's emergence as a key mediator has elevated its diplomatic standing, transforming it from a regional outlier into a critical player on the world stage," Burcu Ozcelik, a senior research fellow at the British think tank Royal United Services Institute told DW. "This newfound role enhances Doha's influence... and positions it as an indispensable 'partner for peace' within the global community."

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