Top diplomats of the United States, Ukraine, France, Germany and the United Kingdom have postponed a planned meeting in London, downgrading the talks on ending the war in Ukraine to discussions among their senior officials.
The abrupt postponement was announced by the UK’s Foreign Office, without elaborating on the reason.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is still expected to hold a bilateral meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Sybiha arrived in London along with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, and Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.
In a series of posts on social media, Yermak said: “Despite everything, we will work for peace.
“Today we will talk about ways to achieve a complete and unconditional ceasefire as the first step towards a full-fledged settlement process and achieving a just and sustainable peace.”
Yermak confirmed the Ukrainian delegation will still meet their US and European counterparts in London.
The downgrading in the level of diplomacy comes amid signs of mounting frustration in Washington. The discussions follow earlier negotiations in Paris and were due to focus on a ceasefire framework presented by the US last week.
Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump’s envoy for Ukraine and Russia, had been due to lead the US delegation in London, although Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had already confirmed he would not attend.
“We’re not going to continue with this endeavour for weeks and months on end,” Rubio told reporters following the Paris talks. He warned that Trump may soon pivot to “other priorities”.
‘There is nothing to talk about’
According to officials briefed on the proposal circulated by the US in Paris, the framework includes a controversial provision requiring Ukraine to recognise Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
The document, described by US officials as Trump’s “final offer”, has prompted strong opposition from Kyiv.
“There is nothing to talk about. This violates our Constitution. This is our territory – the territory of the people of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said during a briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday.
Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, is among several potential concessions Kyiv fears may be under consideration, alongside concerns that further ground could be ceded in the partially occupied regions of Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhia.
“As soon as talks about Crimea and our sovereign territories begin, the talks enter the format that Russia wants – prolonging the war – because it will not be possible to agree on everything quickly,” Zelenskyy added.
Zelenskyy reiterated that negotiations could only proceed following an unconditional halt to Russian hostilities.
Nine killed in Dnipropetrovsk
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly offered to freeze fighting along current front lines as part of a potential agreement, according to the Financial Times newspaper.
The offer comes after the expiration of a 30-hour Easter truce declared by Moscow, which both sides accused each other of violating.
Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said Witkoff was expected to return to Moscow this week for further discussions.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, however, warned against rushing the process.
“The settlement issue is so complex that it would be wrong to put some tight limits to it and try to set some short timeframe for a settlement, a viable settlement – it would be a thankless task,” he said.
In the UK’s House of Commons on Tuesday, Defence Secretary John Healey accused Russia of deliberately stalling the peace process.
“While Putin has said he declared an Easter truce, he broke it; while Putin says he wants peace, he has rejected a full ceasefire; and while Putin says he wants to put an end to the fighting, he continues to play for time in the negotiations,” he said.
As diplomatic efforts continue, Russian forces have escalated attacks on civilian infrastructure. Overnight drone strikes hit multiple targets across Ukraine.
In Marhanets, a drone attack on a bus carrying workers killed nine people, according to Serhiy Lysak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region.
In Odesa, two people were injured and several fires broke out after another drone targeted civilian infrastructure, regional Governor Oleh Kiper said.
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