Reuters
Talks between the U.S., Ukraine and European officials to discuss ending Russia's war in Ukraine faltered on Wednesday as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio abruptly cancelled his trip to London and negotiations were downgraded.
Rubio's no show prompted a broader meeting of foreign ministers from Ukraine, Britain, France and Germany to be cancelled, although talks continued at a lower level. The U.S. would now be represented by Ukraine envoy General Keith Kellogg.
The downgrading of the talks comes at a critical time, just days after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Washington could walk away if there was no progress on a deal soon. Trump raised the pressure on Sunday when he said he hoped Moscow and Kyiv would make a deal this week to end the three-year war.
A source close to the discussions said the downgrading of the trip came after Ukraine drafted a paper for the Europeans on Tuesday, in which it said there would be no discussions on territorial issues until "a full and unconditional ceasefire".
The source said the apparent U.S. nervousness could indicate that the Ukrainian position did not align with what Washington's representatives had agreed so far with the Russians.
Rubio spoke to British Foreign Secretary David Lammy late on Tuesday and said he looked forward to rescheduling his trip in the coming months after Wednesday's "technical meetings".
Speaking on his arrival in London with the foreign and defence ministers, Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak said the talks would focus on ways to achieve a full and unconditional ceasefire as a first step to peace.
"Despite everything, we will work for peace," he said on social media.
But underlining the distance between the sides in the negotiation, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said Kyiv would not recognise Russian sovereignty over Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula Russia annexed in 2014. That recognition was part of the proposals outlined by the United States to the Europeans last week, sources close to the talks have said.
"Ukraine is ready to negotiate - but not to surrender," Svyrydenko wrote on X.
The meeting is a follow-up to a similar session in Paris last week where U.S., Ukrainian and European officials discussed ways to move forward and narrow positions.
During those talks, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff presented a paper to the participants outlining proposals in which Ukraine in particular, but also Russia, would need to make concessions, according to three diplomats aware of the talks.
The diplomats differed on whether the position paper was a firm U.S. stance or a starting point to work with Ukraine and its British, French and German allies to formulate a joint position before taking it to Russia.
Rubio's no show prompted a broader meeting of foreign ministers from Ukraine, Britain, France and Germany to be cancelled, although talks continued at a lower level. The U.S. would now be represented by Ukraine envoy General Keith Kellogg.
The downgrading of the talks comes at a critical time, just days after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Washington could walk away if there was no progress on a deal soon. Trump raised the pressure on Sunday when he said he hoped Moscow and Kyiv would make a deal this week to end the three-year war.
A source close to the discussions said the downgrading of the trip came after Ukraine drafted a paper for the Europeans on Tuesday, in which it said there would be no discussions on territorial issues until "a full and unconditional ceasefire".
The source said the apparent U.S. nervousness could indicate that the Ukrainian position did not align with what Washington's representatives had agreed so far with the Russians.
Rubio spoke to British Foreign Secretary David Lammy late on Tuesday and said he looked forward to rescheduling his trip in the coming months after Wednesday's "technical meetings".
Speaking on his arrival in London with the foreign and defence ministers, Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak said the talks would focus on ways to achieve a full and unconditional ceasefire as a first step to peace.
"Despite everything, we will work for peace," he said on social media.
But underlining the distance between the sides in the negotiation, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said Kyiv would not recognise Russian sovereignty over Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula Russia annexed in 2014. That recognition was part of the proposals outlined by the United States to the Europeans last week, sources close to the talks have said.
"Ukraine is ready to negotiate - but not to surrender," Svyrydenko wrote on X.
The meeting is a follow-up to a similar session in Paris last week where U.S., Ukrainian and European officials discussed ways to move forward and narrow positions.
During those talks, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff presented a paper to the participants outlining proposals in which Ukraine in particular, but also Russia, would need to make concessions, according to three diplomats aware of the talks.
The diplomats differed on whether the position paper was a firm U.S. stance or a starting point to work with Ukraine and its British, French and German allies to formulate a joint position before taking it to Russia.
