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Recent discussions involving U.S., Ukrainian, and European officials aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in Ukraine experienced a setback on Wednesday when U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio abruptly cancelled his visit to London, leading to a downgrade in the negotiations.
Rubio’s absence resulted in the cancellation of a broader meeting that was intended to include foreign ministers from Ukraine, Britain, France, and Germany. However, discussions continued at a lower level, with the U.S. now represented by Gen. Keith Kellogg, the special envoy to Ukraine.
This change in proceedings coincided with a tragic drone attack in the Ukrainian city of Marhanets, where a Russian drone struck a bus, leading to the deaths of nine individuals and injuring nearly 50 others, according to officials in Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the nature of the attack, referring to the bus as “an ordinary bus” and a clear civilian target. Ukraine’s air force reported that overnight there were a total of 134 Russian drones launched at various locations across Ukraine, though no immediate response was issued by Russian authorities.
Status of Crimea Identified as a Key Issue
In the realm of diplomacy, Rubio had a conversation late Tuesday with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, expressing his hope to reschedule his trip in the coming months after what he termed as “technical meetings.” He, alongside U.S. President Donald Trump, cautioned last week that the United States might disengage from discussions pertaining to Ukraine and Russia if progress toward a resolution is not achieved soon.
WATCH: Andrew Rasiulis from the Canadian Global Affairs Institute discusses the potential U.S. withdrawal from Ukraine-Russia peace talks:
Upon arriving in London, Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak conveyed the aim of the talks, which would primarily focus on achieving a full and unconditional ceasefire as a preliminary step toward peace. He emphasized the ongoing commitment to pursuing peace despite the challenges.
This meeting followed a previous session in Paris where officials from the U.S., Ukraine, and Europe convened to explore forward movement and reconcile differing positions. During these earlier discussions, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff introduced a document outlining proposals that would require concessions from both Ukraine and Russia, as reported by several diplomats involved.
Sources indicate that some proposals from Washington were met with resistance from both European nations and Ukraine. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot remarked that European representatives detailed their non-negotiable terms regarding a prospective peace agreement.
Rubio had previously stated that the U.S. framework discussed in Paris received a positive reception. However, it appears that one of the U.S. proposals involved acknowledging Russia’s unlawful annexation of Crimea, a stipulation that is unacceptable to both Europe and Ukraine. Furthermore, Europe and Ukraine would need to come to terms with Russia’s control over a remaining 20% of Ukrainian territory, and NATO membership for Ukraine would be excluded from the discussions, with the U.S. also contemplating the lifting of sanctions on Russia.
The London talks aimed at bridging these divides and identifying compromise solutions that might incentivize Moscow to engage in serious negotiations. Beyond the issue of Crimea, other significant barriers include Russia’s demand for the relaxation of European Union sanctions prior to finalizing negotiations, a stipulation that Europe firmly rejects.
In a notable proposal, Washington suggested creating a neutral zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is currently under Russian occupation. Zelenskyy indicated on Tuesday that Ukraine is open to collaborating with the U.S. to reactivate the plant.
Putin Promises Increased Military Production
Some of the ideas put forth by Washington may not be well-received by Moscow. According to diplomats, the U.S. is not advocating for Russia’s demand to demilitarize Ukraine and does not oppose the inclusion of a European force in future security assurances for Ukraine.
WATCH: Analysts speculate on whether Putin is using flattery or stall tactics in talks with the U.S.:
Witkoff, who did not partake in the London discussions, is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia later this week, as confirmed by the White House. In related comments on Wednesday, Putin indicated that Russia plans to escalate its military production in the fourth year of the conflict in Ukraine, all while engaging in dialogues related to ending the hostilities. He noted that nearly all defense enterprises had successfully fulfilled their orders in the previous year.
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