A significant diplomatic meeting in London, aimed at addressing the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, has been downgraded following US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's announcement that he would not attend. This development has intensified the ongoing clash between Washington and Kyiv regarding the future of territories occupied by Russia.
Rubio was anticipated to participate in discussions alongside officials from Ukraine, the UK, and Europe. However, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce announced on Tuesday that he would skip the summit due to “logistical issues.” Following this, London’s Foreign Office confirmed on Wednesday that the meeting would proceed at a lower diplomatic level. The department indicated in a message to journalists that “official level talks will continue, but these are closed to media.”
The recent developments cast new uncertainty over the diplomatic initiatives aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war. The United States has increasingly emphasized the necessity for Kyiv to reach an agreement; however, Ukraine remains resolute in its refusal to relinquish control of Crimea, which has been under Russian occupation since 2014, or parts of eastern Ukraine captured during the full-scale invasion initiated by Moscow in 2022.
US Vice President JD Vance expressed frustration over the stalled negotiations, stating during a visit to India: “We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes or for the US to walk away from this process. We’ve engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy and ground work.”
In the meantime, Ukraine's European allies, particularly Britain and France, are striving to bridge the gap between the conflicting parties. The talks held on Wednesday were expected to follow a previous meeting in Paris, where officials from the US, UK, France, and Germany deliberated on an American framework for a potential ceasefire.
After Rubio’s decision to withdraw from the discussions, Bruce confirmed that Keith Kellogg, President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, would represent the US in London. The contentious US proposal, which has led to a stalemate, involves recognizing Russia’s control over Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Moscow. An official familiar with the framework disclosed that it would also establish a ceasefire along the war's front lines.
Any recognition of Russia’s control over Crimea would mark a significant shift in US policy, reversing a decade of opposition. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made it clear on Tuesday that while he is open to negotiations with Russia, Kyiv will not accept any agreement that acknowledges Moscow’s control over Crimea. “Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea,” he affirmed to reporters. “There is nothing to talk about. It is against our constitution.”
As diplomatic efforts waver, the war has escalated once again this week, following a brief ceasefire over the Easter weekend, during which both sides accused each other of violations. Ukrainian authorities reported that nine people were killed and over 30 injured when a Russian drone attacked a bus in the Dnipropetrovsk region near Marhanets. Meanwhile, Russia’s National Guard claimed to have destroyed 17 Ukrainian attack drones overnight, according to state-run news agency Tass.
The London talks were convened as US officials publicly expressed their frustration regarding the lack of progress in ending the war. Trump has noted that he would require both sides to show a genuine desire to conclude the conflict for the US to continue its mediation efforts. Rubio and the State Department have indicated that a broad framework has been presented to both parties to assess whether their differences can be reconciled within a short timeframe.
There are still components of the framework that need to be finalized, and US officials plan to collaborate with European allies and Ukrainian representatives on this during the week, as reported by CNN. Additionally, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to visit Moscow this week to further negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Kremlin has confirmed Witkoff’s visit, although details remain undisclosed, according to Russian state media. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned on Tuesday that the negotiations are “hopefully moving in the right direction,” while refraining from commenting on what a potential US withdrawal from the peace talks might entail.
Historically, Moscow has stalled on ceasefire negotiations, previously rejecting a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire that Kyiv had agreed to. However, under pressure from Trump, both Ukraine and Russia have expressed a willingness to negotiate, a significant development given that direct talks have not occurred since the early days of Moscow’s invasion in 2022. Recently, Putin suggested the possibility of direct discussions with Ukraine regarding a ceasefire that would prevent attacks on civilian targets, although further clarification on defining “civilian targets” is still necessary. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later confirmed Putin’s intention to engage in negotiations with the Ukrainian side, as reported by Reuters.
